Regretfully Yours
by SpringTime7
Summary: He was gone, and after waiting for three years Hermione Granger finally moved on. Now married to her former enemy her world is shattered when the red head of her dreams finally returns.
1. Facing the Past

She lay on her back, hands behind her head. _Thrust._ She was lost in thought. _Thrust._ Reflecting on a report that she _Thrust _had just read regarding the mistranslation of some of the runes from Egypt. _Thrust._ It had really thrown a whole knew wrench into her current research_ Thrust_ for the book that she was writing. _Thrust. _She tried hard to focus on her work, _Thrust_ hoping to block out what was happening. _Thrust_. It was a normal enough _Thrust _occurrence, every Wednesday night to be exact. _Thrust_. Not even a year into her marriage and she already _Thrust _couldn't stand sleeping with her husband. _Thrust._

Her body tensed and she focused _Thrust _even harder on her work, trying to block out the inevitable. _Thrust_. It was no use; she tried to look away, hoping_ Thrust_ that the end result would change. _Thrust_. He wouldn't let her; his hand _Thrust _moved to her face and pointed it towards him. _Thrust_. She watched him in silence as his eyes slowly turned from steely gray to a bright _Thrust _sky blue. His hair grew and changed from silver blond to ginger. _Thrust_. His nose, a perfect specimen of symmetry _Thrust _grew longer with a slight bump in the arch. _Thrust_. And just as it always happened, Hermione lost herself in _Thrust _the moment and let the image of Ron take her. _Thrust_. Her body quivered, her eyes rolled back into her head and she reveled in the pleasure as long as she could.

She felt him convulse inside of her and then his weight as he lay heavily on top of her. It was over, and the pain that she would always feel for allowing those few seconds of pleasure washed over her. Hermione wasn't sure if he knew that she always envisioned someone else as they made love, but he must have known something, because he would not let her look away during those last moments. She would try and focus, focus on her husband, focus on books, anything to not let his image invade her mind.

He finally rolled off of her and lay sprawled out on his side of the bed, a smirk gracing his face. "Thanks," he said as he leaned in and brushed her cheek with a kiss.

"Um, hmm." Hermione responded not having actually paid attention to what he had said, but knowing none the less as it had been their routine for the past seven months. Without another word he had drifted off to sleep, his slow even breathing cluing her in to when it would be safe to get up.

Hermione had another Wednesday night ritual, one that, if possible was almost as much torture as the sex. Her bare feet hit the cool wooden floor as her right hand clasped the fluffy red bathrobe at the foot of her bed. She draped it over herself and padded lightly towards the built-in bookshelf that took up one entire wall in their bedroom. With sure movements her small hands removed a huge, leather-bound tome from the shelf.

She made her way to the chair in the corner of the room with the large window behind it and using only the light provided by the moon's beams she opened the book. Instead of usual words and pages one would find in a book, especially a book of this size, there was a hollow box. Inside was an organized pile of photographs, some moving, others not, along with a stack of letters all with the same chicken scratch that could barely be called writing. There was a dried up sprig of bluebells, a paper coaster with the emblem of The Leaky Cauldron on it, a wine cork with the number one written into the top and few other odd pieces of memorabilia. Her hands grazed over everything, barely touching the items, yet taking in their feel all the same.

A low snort came from the bed and her hand stopped in mid graze over a photo of her and her ginger-haired companion. She waited, listening intently for a sign to show that her husband was still in fact asleep. After a few moments her heart beat slowed and she resumed her reverie, taking in the photo that her hand had stopped over.

Ron was standing next to her, his eyes were glancing back and forth from the camera to her as his hands clasped and unclasped together nervously. Hermione's wild, bushy hair blocked out his nose whenever he would turn his head, a faint blush would appear on her cheeks every time he glanced her way. It had been taken the summer before their fifth year while they were holed up at Grimmauld Place; before either had even begun to admit what they felt for one another, especially to themselves. It was one of her favorite photos of them, one which showed their innocence in a time of war.  
She turned her focus to the neat stack of letters and looked through it until she found one that she hadn't read in a while. They were all worn from being folded and refolded and she knew each of them by heart, but she read them again and again anyway. His barely legible handwriting was scrawled on the page:

_  
__Hermione, ___

_See I told you I would write. How has your summer been? My dad got us some great tickets for the Quidditch World Cup this year; mum said that I could invite you and Harry. Owl back if you can come and someone will come and pick you up the day before the match. ___

_Ginny told me to tell you that you have to say yes so that she is not stuck with all of us blokes the entire time. I hope you can make it. See you soon. ___

_Ron _  
She traced her finger over his signature mindlessly and thought of what once was. There were no tears anymore, she was all dried up, but there was pain, there was a deep ache in her heart from when he had left. She heard a faint snort again, and this time as she listened the breathing did not even out as it had before. Hastily she folded the letter and closed the top of the 'book' trying to make it look as if that was what she had been reading and not a letter from her departed boyfriend.

"What time is it," he croaked out in a sleep filled voice.

Hermione glanced at her watch, "A little after twelve."

"Come to bed." It wasn't an order, but it wasn't a request either. She placed the book lovingly back on the shelf and padded back towards their king sized mahogany bed. She slipped out of her robe and crawled under the covers. Hermione rubbed her feet together in order to get some warmth and she rolled over on her side, facing away from her husband; feeling his eyes bore into her back.

"Night," she whispered.

He moved, spooning the front of his body to the back of hers, and wrapped one arm around her. "Night." He whispered back as he kissed her neck.

*****

Grief was replaced with guilt. She had made a vow, she had promised to love him till death did part them. He didn't deserve her betrayal, he was by no means perfect, but she had known that, she had known what she was getting into when she married him, and he did love her. It was a surprise to her how much. Considering their history the fact that he wanted to be in the same room with her let alone share a life was amazing. Hell the fact that she was willing to do so as well was amazing.

She could feel Draco's breath on her neck as his chest moved in and out. How could she do this to Draco? How could she do this to herself? _He_ was gone and Draco was here. She was Mrs. Draco Malfoy and she would be a good wife. With that last thought she drifted off to sleep.

*****

She got up early that morning and went down to the kitchen leaving Draco sleeping peacefully in their bed. Some eggy bread was called for. It was his favorite and she hadn't made it for him in a long time. Of course she could always get their house elf Twinkles to make it for them, but it was her day off and even though Hermione knew that Twinkles would only be too happy to help it was about time that she did something nice for Draco.

She had slipped into the habit of taking him for granted. Why brood about a man who was probably dead instead of dote over a man who was right there and loved her? She had just finished placing the last piece of bread onto a plate when she heard the kitchen door swing open.

"What's all this?" Draco asked as he swaggered into their kitchen and pointed at the plate of eggy bread.

"It's breakfast." She put on her brightest smile and it almost felt real.

"I can see that. Why are you making it? We have an elf you know."

"It's her day off." Draco huffed, Hermione ignoring his reaction continued in a voice a bit colder than before, "and I thought I would do something nice."

Draco, acknowledging that he was treading in dangerous waters kissed her on the cheek and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It is nice, thank you."

"Well, you're welcome." She said, her voice losing a little bit of the frost. She sat down and served Draco his plate of eggy bread with a side of bacon.

"So what's on the agenda for the day?" Draco asked, probably hoping to lighten the mood and hoping to veer off from any discussion about house elf rights. She knew that he thought of them as vermin, though he would never dare to say it outright. Not unless he wanted a one way ticket to sleeping on the guest bed.

"Maybe a bit of shopping this morning, we are running low on some potion ingredients." She took a bite of her bacon.

"That'll be good, I was planning on getting some brewing done on Saturday."

"Oh, that reminds me, I am having lunch with Ginny on Saturday."

The bite that Draco had been holding up to his mouth stopped in mid air. "Ginny?" he gritted out, "How lovely."

"None of that Draco Malfoy, Ginny is my best friend!" Her voice went up an octave, a sure indication that he should quit while he was behind.

"Yeah and your ghost boyfriends' sister." He mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" One more octave.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He said and then put his precisely cut piece of eggy bread into his mouth.

"That's what I thought." They continued to eat their breakfast in silence. She knew it was unfair. She had told herself last night that she would try harder, but how could she when he first started off the morning huffing at Twinkles right to a day off and then got all ridiculous because she was going to have lunch with her best friend. It wasn't fair that he made her feel that she had to choose between them.

Hermione knew that he got so upset because every time she was with Ginny it inevitably brought back memories of Ginny's brother, but she couldn't give up the friendship just to please him. He had married her fully aware of what her situation was, and where her heart was, it was all his fault!

But that wasn't fair either. It was no one's fault. She sighed and Draco looked up from his plate as she conceded. "Sorry, if you don't want me to go I won't."

"No, go Hermione, it's okay." Just at the moment there was an insistent tapping at the window. A large tawny owl was perched just outside hopping impatiently from one leg to the next. Draco went to the window and removed the letter from the owl's leg. He sat back down to read, Hermione watched his face as a glimmer of confusion and then fear crossed his features, but just as quickly they were gone to be replaced by his ever present mask of no emotion.

"I have to go, some important business to take care of." He gave her a half smile as he rose from his seat leaving his plate on the table; something that Hermione would normally get on him about, but she decided to let it be for this morning. He was out of the kitchen and then the house faster than she could say Snufflearmp.

She grudgingly gathered the dirty dishes and cleaned them with some quick spell work before preparing for her day of shopping and research.

*****

Ginny was exhausted, Saturday morning practice had really taken it out of her. She quickly showered and changed not bothering to even look in the mirror or dry her hair. Hermione was probably already at the café waiting for her.

"Morning," came a voice from the direction of the den. She poked her head into the bookshelf lined room to see her boyfriend sitting at the desk going over some files. "Or should I say afternoon?" He looked up and grinned at her, running his hand through his ever messy head of black hair.

"Hey, I gotta run I'm S'posed to meet Hermione" she looked down at her watch, "five minutes ago for lunch. Love you."

"Love you too. Have fun, tell her I said hi." His voice trailed off as she hurried down the stairs and out onto the street where she apparated to The Leaky Cauldron and followed Diagon Alley down to the little café where she was to meet her friend. She looked around at the five tables that were there and noticed that Hermione was not at any one of them. She hoped that Hermione hadn't left already.

Ginny looked at her watch, only eight minutes late, surely Hermione wouldn't have left so soon. She grabbed the only vacant table in the back of the café and slumped down in the seat, aching for a cup of tea.

Three cups and two scones later Hermione finally arrived. There was a large, brown stain running down the front of her robes and her hair, if it was possible was bushier than usual. Ginny took in her friend's appearance and immediately was consumed with worry.

"Hermione! Are you okay?" Hermione's eyes were wild and glazed with unshed tears, she just stood in front of the table, not bothering to sit down or respond. Ginny sat up and led Hermione into the seat across from her. "Hermione, please what happened?" Ginny reached across the table and clasped Hermione's hand.

"H-h-he's back." Ginny's heart beat sped up and her palms immediately started to sweat.

"Who's back?" Ginny asked, though she knew the answer, nothing short of Ron coming home would make her collected friend appear in such a state.

"R-Ron." Hermione started to sob, something that Ginny hadn't seen her do since his initial disappearance. She could feel the tears start to well in her own eyes. If it had been anyone else to tell her she might not have believe them, but if anyone knew her brother it was Hermione.

"Where is he?" Ginny was finally able to choke out.

Hermione's sobs got even harder and Ginny could not make out anything intelligible. She noticed that the few people that were in the café were openly staring at the two of them, not wanting to risk any possible exposure Ginny laid down some Sickles and pulled Hermione up and out of the café.

They made it to Ginny's home in record time where Ginny had Harry put on a kettle while she tried to get some sense out of her bushy haired friend.

"Hermione," Ginny said in a soothing voice which completely contradicted the way that she felt, "You need to tell me what happened." Ginny rubbed her arm in encouragement. "Please, I need to know."

A slight hiccup and a cup of tea later Hermione was calm enough to get out, "I- I s-s-saw R-Ron. In-In Diagon Alley." Hermione stared vacantly at the mantel over the fireplace.

"Yes, I gathered that," and Ginny shook her slightly hoping to break her out of her reverie and waken her to the important task of telling her exactly what had happened.

Hermione's eyes gained focus and she looked Ginny straight in the eyes. "I saw him, he was there, just walking down the street. I had just come out from the potion shop with my cold coffee from this morning in hand, and there he was." Tears started to reform in both the girls eyes, "he was shaggier than usual, but it was him." Now Hermione's eyes were pleading, "I know it was him Gin, and he looked at me, straight at me, but it was like I wasn't even there, and then he was gone. I don't know where he went. I tried to follow him…" her voice trailed off as her eyes refocused onto the mantel once again.

Harry had been standing behind Ginny, silently listening to every word. "Do you think it was really him?" He asked.

"I KNOW IT WAS HIM!" Ginny jumped slightly in her chair at Hermione's yell.

"Yes," Ginny said, still stroking Hermione's arm, "I think it was him."


	2. Avoiding the Truth

"Maybe he lost his memory?" Harry suggested to his girlfriend after they had put Hermione to bed in their guest bedroom.

"Maybe," Ginny added thoughtfully.

Neither one had been able to figure out exactly what to do. Ron had been gone for almost four years now, after the first two they had pretty much given up any hope of finding him again. Of course Harry had kept his ear to the ground so to speak, following any lead that he could to try and find his best friend, but nothing had ever turned up to be any good. To have Ron come back all of a sudden on his own was quite unexpected to say the least.

"I'm going to put in a floo to Reynolds, get him to start looking into where Ron might be now."

"Yeah," Ginny added. She hadn't even realized what she had agreed to; not that she would have argued against going to the Head of the Auror department. She just couldn't wrap her head around it. _Why now? Where had he been?_ Were just a few of the questions that were swimming around in her brain.

She had to talk to her mum, she had to tell her that Ron was alive and possibly back. Getting up from her seat without even acknowledging Harry, Ginny went towards the door.

"Wait!" Harry demanded, "Where are you going."

Barely registering what she was saying Ginny just mumbled "The Burrow" and went off. Her brain was in overdrive and was not going to slow down for anyone, not even Harry Potter. It took her only a few moments before she found herself in front of her family home, she hadn't even remembered apparating.

Without knocking she entered the house, not sure yet exactly what she would say to her mother when she did confide in her. Her search hadn't taken long, in the kitchen she saw her mum standing in front of the table serving a hot cup of tea to…Ginny shook her head and looked again… it was Ron. Ron was sitting in their kitchen. Ron who had been missing for almost four years was casually sipping at a cup of tea at their table.

She froze; mouth agape. Sure Hermione had told her that he was back, but for some reason Ginny had thought that would mean that they would have to find him. After the way that Hermione had described their interaction Ginny was sure that Ron had some memory charm placed on him, but here he was at home, sitting around as if he had never left. It just didn't register.

"Oh Ginny," her mum said as she turned around and took in the shocked expression of her only little girl. "Isn't it wonderful? Ron has come home." There were fresh tears on her mum's cheeks and her eyes were red and puffy.

Hesitantly she stepped into the kitchen and towards her long lost brother who she had given up for dead. He gave her a tentative smile as she neared him slowly. His hair shaggier then she had ever seen it and a few days worth of stubble on his more mature looking face showed to Ginny the passage of time. He looked so much older, yet it was him. Her hand reached out to touch his shoulder, to feel that he was in fact really there. When her fingers made contact with his shirt the tears that she hadn't even realized she had been holding back flowed freely down her face. He stood and she hugged him fiercely.

*****

Hermione awoke disoriented, not exactly sure where she was at first. It took her a couple of moments to recognize the pale yellow walls and floral bedspread of Harry and Ginny's guest bedroom. Her head ached and her face felt swollen and sticky. Then like a bolt of lightning she remembered why she was here, what had happened that afternoon. She rose quickly from the bed and had to steady herself as she felt the rush of blood to her head and her vision went a bit hazy.

Once she was able to get her bearings back she went straight for the door and rushed down the stairs. Harry poked his head out from the parlor as she tore past the door.

"Hermione?" He sounded worried, but she didn't have time to think about it, she just continued on past the kitchen hand outstretched for the front door knob.

"Hermione! Wait!" Harry stormed after her, she yanked the door open and as soon as her foot hit the front stoop she spun and apparated to her favorite part of her large garden. The sight of bluebells greeted her cheerfully.

She just needed time, time to think and process. There was no doubt in her mind that it was Ron, no question that she had been only hoping to see him and therefore he was there. She would have known that face anywhere even if he had been ten blocks away instead of the one.

She recalled how his blue eyes had met hers so briefly; how they held no recognition of her? How could he not know her, how was she able to spot him in a crowd of so many people and he was not able to do the same? She was hurt, but even more then that she was confused. Had she wasted all of these years pining over someone who obviously didn't have a second thought for her?

_No, there must be something wrong_. Maybe it was a memory charm, or a potion, maybe whoever had taken him had scarred him so badly that he blocked out all of his past, _or maybe,_ a little voice in her head said, _he never really loved you_. She tried to block out the doubt, to force those kinds of thoughts from her mind, but after four years of being without him how could she be certain that he hadn't just left, there was no proof that he had been taken.

Maybe he had hated being tied to her, hated the life that he was stuck in with her by his side. How else was he to escape? The whole world expected them to be together, his mother, his whole family, Harry and especially her. Maybe it had all been too much and he needed to get away.

She then thought about the circumstances that made her wait until today to get the potion ingredients. What if she had gone on Thursday instead of getting wrapped up in her research for the different translations of the Ankh. What if I had just gone straight to lunch with Ginny? Her mind was reeling from all of the 'what if's' that tore through it.

Breaking out of her reverie Hermione found herself in the part of the garden that held their prize winning black tulips. The black tulips had always sent a chill up her spine; she had read somewhere about how that black tulip had once been the most sought after bulb in the world, but she couldn't understand the fascination. Draco of course had to have them because they were rare and expensive, but Hermione rarely ever found herself in this part of their garden. They were so still and eerie, and brought thoughts of torture and darkness to her mind. Hurriedly she found the path that would lead her toward her home.

She pushed open one of the French doors that led into the back sitting room. It was her favorite room in the house; its dark wood flooring and coffee colored walls were so warm and inviting. She curled up in one of the plush ivory chairs that faced the brick fireplace and let her thoughts trail again to Ron; the flames that were flickering in the fireplace reminding her of his shaggy red hair.

*****  
Hours later she was still sitting there when she felt someone hovering over. She needn't have turned around to know it was Draco, his musky cologne overpowering every other scent in the room.

"Hello," she said tonelessly. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the top of her head.

"How was your lunch?" There was a slight note of worry in his voice which normally would have her rushing to relieve his worry as well as her guilt, but today she wasn't up to the task, instead she just shrugged her shoulders and continued to stare into the flames.

Draco's looming figure was before her now, standing over her with a look of concern and apprehension. "Hermione," he pulled her chin up with his pointer finger, "what's wrong?"

What could she say? She couldn't tell him that she had seen Ron today. She could barely register it herself, and she knew that even if she did tell him he wouldn't believe her. He would say that she must have been imagining things.

"Nothing," she finally decided to say. She arose from the chair and ignored Draco's pointed look of disbelief. "What should we have for dinner?" She asked, hoping that her change of subject would distract him.

It seemed to have worked, as after a slight debate, they decided on Duck. At dinner, Hermione, to overcompensate for what she was actually feeling inside became highly animated about the wonderful morning she had shopping.

"So did you get everything we needed then?" Draco asked as he cut a precise piece of duck.

She had dropped her bags on the street when she had spotted Ron, but Hermione smiled and said, "Oh yes, everything."

"Good, I was meaning to brew some Calming Drought on Thursday, something I could take after work, but…," Draco gave her a pointed look of disappointment. "I needed something to unwind after that unfortunate owl I received. It is going to be a tough week."

"Yes I am sorry about that. Has it been really so stressful at work?" She needed to distract him, how could she explain that, she really didn't have the ingredients, they were rotting along the gutters of Diagon Alley somewhere after she had dropped them upon seeing Ron.

Draco groaned. "You wouldn't believe what the goblins are trying to pull over on me. Those nasty, little, gold hungry pieces of…"

"Dray-co" Hermione stretched out his name in an admonishing tone.

"What? They are filthy little rodents and all they want to do is…"

"DRACO!" Her shout jolted him a bit but he was able to compose himself quickly.

"Sorry," he murmured under his breath.

She gave him a slight smile to show that she forgave him, though inside she was still seething, but her distraction had worked and she wouldn't have to explain about not having the potion ingredients.

They made small talk during the rest of their meal and when he was done with the strawberry sorbet that Twinkles had served for dessert he arose from his chair.

"Off to the den then?" She asked, as that was his normal nightly ritual after dinner.

"No," he said as if he were talking to a child, "I am going to make the Calming Drought."

Hermione felt her chest tighten; she had to think fast. She rose from her chair and headed towards her husband. "Are you sure that is the only way that you can get calm tonight?" She said in what she hoped was a seductive voice, though she couldn't be sure that her nerves weren't showing through.

Draco cocked an eyebrow at her. "It's Saturday."

"So," Hermione cooed as she ran a finger down his chest. His eyes were wide at first, but then she saw the cool gray darken with desire. He grabbed her hand when it reached his belt buckle and pulled her close to him. He smashed his lips onto hers, kissing her as he never had before, as if he wanted to consume her.

After the initial shock of it she gave into his kisses. She had started this and she would let it continue. He ripped at her blouse and the buttons flew every which way. Feverishly he ran his hands along her body, groping and grasping. His mouth left hers and began to kiss her collar bone, her neck, just under her ear lobe.

Hermione, instead of fighting it as she normally did, gave into the images of Ron that swam through her brain and soon she found herself clawing at Draco's shirt and un buckling his trousers with as much if not more ferocity. She pulled his bare chest against her own and held onto him tightly as he pushed her back towards the dining room table.  
He lifted her easily onto the antique oak table and carelessly moved aside any objects that were in their way.

Hermione tried to wrap her legs around his waist but he stopped her and she watched as her skirt and then knickers fell to the floor after his hurried removal of them. Her legs quickly wrapped themselves around his waist and pulled him back towards her.

They had never had sex like that; spontaneously, roughly. It had always been a careful kind of love making, as if he had been afraid that he might break her and she had been afraid to let herself go. When they were done, Hermione still propped on top of their dining room table, Draco fallen into a panting heap in one of the velvet lined chairs, Hermione wondered if it was considered cheating to think about someone else while you made love to your husband?

She stared straight ahead, not wanting to see the blond hair and grey eyes that she knew would stare back at her. She could hear his heavy breathing slowly begin to calm and in that moment, without saying a word, she took her clothes from the floor not bothering to even put them on she kissed Draco on the top of his head and she made her way up to their bedroom.


	3. Reunion

After the sudden bombardment of all the Weasley's gathered together in the Burrow, Ron felt exhausted. Ginny had convinced everyone to let Ron go and see Harry after an hour of bewildering conversation with his very extended family and Ron had been grateful for the break. He loved his family, but it was all so confusing, he hadn't expected the cheerful reactions to his coming home because he hadn't felt that he had been gone so very long. The tears of his mother and sister were nothing compared to those of his father. He had rarely seen his dad cry and it made him see all of the suffering that they must have felt over the last four years.

Ron was being dragged by the hand through a hallway up the stairs and into what appeared to be a den. There was a large desk towards the back of the room that sat in front of a window which almost took over the entire back wall. There were bookshelves that lined the two walls facing opposite each other and standing in front of one of those shelves facing away from the door was a dark haired man.

"Harry?" Ron whispered a bit hesitantly to his sister that had dragged him all this way. Harry was different somehow, Ron couldn't see his face, but he could sense a change. Maybe it was the self confident stance or the slightly bigger build then Ron was used to, but it made Ron a bit sad that he had missed all of this time. She nodded at him, not even trying to hide the enormous grin that had begun to spread across her face.

Ron stood there, rooted to the spot, not sure how to proceed. It had been four years since he had last seen his best mate, or at least that is what everyone kept telling him. He couldn't really remember, he just knew that it hadn't been a pleasant time.

He didn't have to wait long to figure it out because his sister obviously noting his hesitation made the move for him.

"Hey Harry," Ginny said in an overly loud voice. Harry jumped and turned around grinning, his friend's bespectacled green eyes met Ron's and the grin changed into a full blown ear-to-ear smile. Ron returned the smile though his was a bit awkward. They both stood there looking at each other, neither one sure quite what to do.

"I tried to reach you, everyone was at the Burrow." Ginny said.

"Sorry, I was talking to Reynolds about ways to find…" He gestured over to Ron.

"Guess I can tell him the search is off." Harry continued to grin but neither of the men made any motion forward.

"Oh c'mon you two, hug already." Ginny huffed in frustration. Harry was the first to make a step and then they both were moving towards one another, arms outstretched, to meet in a brotherly embrace.

"It's good to see you mate." Harry said as they broke apart. Harry gestured towards one of the two high backed leather chairs that were in the corner of the room and Ron sat.

"Good to see you too." Ron looked around at all of the books and a couple of awards that were placed neatly on the shelves. "Nice place you got here."

"You mean nice place _we've_ got." Ginny broke in. "How about something to eat? I can fix up some sandwiches if you want?" Before either one was able to give an answer Ginny left the room.

"_We've _got? You two are living together then?" Ron asked with obvious surprise.

"Yes well…" Harry mumbled out. "So, what happened to you? Where have you been?" He asked in a firmer tone.

"Don't try and change the subject, when did you and Ginny get back together? Are you going to marry her?" Ron started questioning Harry with all of the rights of an older brother.

Harry who was fidgeting uneasily in his seat and looking in every direction but straight at Ron could evade the questions no longer. "We sorta made up after you left actually. She was a bit upset you see…"

"I didn't leave!" Ron interrupted.

"Well where were you then? We have been looking for you for ages."

"I-I-I don't know actually. It's all a big blur. One second I was walking down Diagon Alley the next thing I remember clearly is that I was in Wales," Ron cocked his head to the side in thought, "or at least I think it was Wales, couldn't really understand what the people were saying over there so I just assumed…"

Harry laughed at his friend's digression.

"What? Those bloody accents are impossible!"

Harry laughed louder and then pat Ron on the back. "It's good to have you back mate."

Ron beamed, "S'nice to be back. Though I don't remember being gone."

"Hermione will be glad that you're back."

"Who?"

"Hermione, you know, Granger, er…well Malfoy actually." At this Harry gave Ron a hesitant glance.

"Granger?" Ron asked. "Wasn't she that little know it all? Why would she be glad to see me?" Ron went on babbling not noticing the concerned look that crossed Harry's face. "Malfoy married a muggle born? Lucius must have loved that."

Ron, who finally noticed that Harry had been gaping at him asked, "What?"

Harry shook his head, "Nothing," He rose from his chair, "I think I should go and see what is taking Ginny so long."

*****

"Something is definitely wrong with him." Harry's hushed voice sounded into their kitchen.

"Who?" She was cutting a sandwich into fours, only half hearing what Harry had said to her.

"Ron!" Harry continued in a low voice, though now that he was standing next to her, Ginny's attention was more focused.

"What do you mean something's wrong with him? He seemed fine when I was talking to him."

"He doesn't remember Hermione."

"Of course he does."

"No Gin, he really doesn't. At least not the way that he should."

She gave Harry a questioning glance equipped with an eyebrow raise, "What do you mean 'not the way he should?'"

"I mean that he only remembers her as someone who was at school with us," Harry placed his hand on Ginny's shoulder, "he doesn't remember that they were even friends let alone…"

"Are you sure Harry?" She cut him off while her mind whirled, _how could he not remember Hermione? How did she not notice it before? What was wrong with him?_ _Maybe Harry is reading too much into things._ But Ginny knew deep down though that that wasn't the case.

He just nodded his head once. "Yes, I'm sure."

*****

"Maybe it is all for the best," Ginny thought out loud that night while she and Harry were sitting in bed. She put aside the book that she had been attempting to read and looked over to Harry.

Harry was reading some report and he pushed his glasses up on his nose as he responded absently to her. "What is Gin?"

"The fact that he doesn't remember," Harry wrenched his eyes away from the report and gave Ginny an incredulous look that asked how it could possibly be for the best. "All I mean is that now that Hermione is married to Malfoy isn't it better that Ron doesn't remember them being together? Maybe it will be better for Hermione too…" Ginny's eyes filled with tears, her heart broke for her friend and her brother, even if Ron might never understand why.

Harry rubbed her hand, "Maybe." He said as he pulled her head towards his shoulder and stroked her hair gently.

"I think," she wiped away a tear that had managed to escape, "we should let Hermione know and then decide what we should do." Ginny lifted her head and looked into Harry's eyes wishing for him to say that the idea of letting Ron go on as if nothing was wrong was insane.

"Yes, I think you are right." Sadly she lowered her gaze and fixated her sights on a snag that was near the stitching on their bed spread. She picked at it absently, saddened that Harry hadn't said what she had wanted, upset about Ron's memory loss, and even more worried for what Hermione would decide when she told her all.

*****

Hermione awoke that morning to Twinkles poking at her ribs. She rolled over and looked into the deep, brown saucer-pan eyes of her house elf. She stretched her arm above her head and yawned. "Yes, Twinkles."

"Sorry to be disturbing you mistress, but there is a visitor. I is trying to get her to come back later, but she isn't listening to Twinkles." The elf's hands fidgeted nervously with the hem of her white cotton dress.

Hermione sat up and lightly held onto one of Twinkles arms in reassurance. "Did they mention who they were?" Hermione asked as she watched her elf slowly begin to calm down.

"It is Miss Weazey, mistress."

"Oh, Ginny's here?" Hermione pushed the covers away and quickly slipped out of her night clothes and into something a bit more appropriate, even if it was only Ginny. She barely glanced over to Draco's side of the bed, but had noticed that he didn't seem at all disturbed by that morning's interruption and slept on peacefully.

She rushed down the stairs as thoughts of reasons for her coming over so early ran through her mind. There was only one that she could think of though, and she didn't want Draco to overhear anything on that front. She had to figure how she was going to tell him, but first she needed to figure out what she was going to do about it.

"Ginny, is everything okay?" Hermione asked as she led Ginny out of the entry way and into the back parlor that she liked so much.

Ginny waited to respond until they were both situated. "No," she stated flatly, "everything is not okay."

Hermione's pretense at a smile fell and she begged Ginny to tell her everything.

"It isn't good Hermione" Hermione was growing more concerned by the second, the way that Ginny was wringing her hands and how her eyes would not meet Hermione's. "Ron is home."

"You found him? That is good…isn't it?" Hermione held her own apprehensions at bay.

"We didn't find him Hermione, he came home." Ginny finally looked at her friend and the look in her eyes conveyed all that Hermione had feared.

"He-He came home?" She felt the prickling of tears and quickly tried to blink them away. "So he remembers…"

"Well yes and no," at Hermione's confused glance she continued, "see, he remembers almost everything, we actually aren't completely sure how much…"

"Please Ginny just tell me."

"It's you Hermione, he doesn't remember you. Or at least not the way that he should."

She let that sink in and then asked, "What do you mean 'the way he should'?"

"Well, he remembers you but only as someone that he went to school with. He doesn't remember you being friends, or more..." Ginny looked back down at the last part and silence reigned throughout the room as her last words echoed in Hermione's mind.

"I'm sorry," Ginny's reached her hand across towards Hermione.

Hermione blinked back more tears and with a falsely cheery voice she said, "no need to be sorry Gin, it's great that Ron's back." She stood and Ginny followed her lead. "Thanks for coming by to tell me."

Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm lightly and said, "Hermione we wont tell him if you don't want us to."

"Tell him what? There is nothing to tell." Ginny squeezed her arm. Hermione's smile felt foreign on her face and her heart ached in her chest but she kept up the pretense as she led Ginny back towards the front of the house.

"Have a great day, tell Harry I said 'hi'." There was a pleading look in Ginny's eyes.

"Maybe we could fix it. I mean there has to be a way to get his memory back."

Now it was Hermione's turn to squeeze Ginny's arm as she said, "Really Gin, it's better this way, I am married…no point in dredging up the past." She gave one last smile as she shut the door behind her friend.

As soon as she heard the click of the door in the frame she let the tears fall. Hermione stood in their entryway as still as a stone while tear after tear trailed its way down her face. She didn't hear the light footsteps that came down the stairs, and didn't even notice that she wasn't alone until she felt herself being picked up and carried upstairs.

She felt herself being placed back in their bed while Draco placed her under the covers. He ran the back of his hand down the side of her tearstained face and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Hermione was reminded why she had married him and the tears came even harder at the thought of her distress over someone else while her husband was here, strong and steady, taking care of her.

"Shhh," He whispered in her ear. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing," Hermione was able to get out as she wiped her face. He looked at her incredulously and she knew that she would have to tell him something, but she wasn't yet ready to reveal what was truly going on. She needed time to wrap her own head around it.

"You're just being so sweet." Hermione hoped that that would be a safe bet for the moment, but she was wrong and it had been silly of her to think that Draco would have been dense enough to fall for it.

"Hermione," he said in a little less soothing voice, "please tell me the truth."

"Really Draco it's nothing, I'm just being silly." She flashed a smile at him. With her puffy eyes and slightly runny nose, she knew that it wouldn't work.

"All right for now, but you will tell me what's going on." He said more firmly. He got up from the side of the bed and left Hermione to herself.

_Why did he have to spoil everything by being so harsh when he had been so sweet not moments before?_ But she knew why, because she was being evasive and not telling him what she knew he had every right to know. He didn't deserve that, and Hermione again found that she was scolding herself in regards to her treatment of Draco. She made another resolution to be better, no, to be the best wife. Wouldn't it be easier now knowing that Ron was safe? Wasn't that what half of her pining had been, the not knowing what had happened to him and if he would ever come back?

Now he was back, and she would be able to move on. Ron wouldn't remember so she wouldn't have to suffer any regrets on his part. All she would have to do was forget that she had ever loved another and focus her attention to the man who she had promised herself to.

She could do that. With new resolve she got herself out of bed and took a nice hot shower to cleanse herself from any impure thoughts. Her muscles relaxed under the warm water and refreshed she dressed in Draco's favorite outfit of hers.

Her footfalls were light on the stairs and she went into Draco's den looking as contrite as she possibly could. She would tell him everything and let him know that she had chosen him, and that he need not worry. Everything would be fine.

When she saw Draco sitting behind his desk, the windows to the outside pushed open and day light flooding the room and the scent of the garden wafting in, she thought of how handsome he looked with his hair neatly combed and the sun shining brightly off his face. That is until she noticed the somber expression that was on it. He was staring intently at something on his desk and he looked unusually white, his eyes narrowed in focus on whatever it was he was reading.

Hermione stepped over to him and brushed her fingers through his hair, only at her touch did he then notice her presence. "Anything interesting?" She asked lightly.

"Yes, something very interesting in fact."

"What?" She asked hesitantly not liking the tone that his voice had just taken.

"Where you planning on telling me, or do you like it when I find out these things on my own?" He was sneering at her now, a look that she had always hated, and one which she hadn't seen for quite some time.

"Telling you what?" Though she knew that he could only be referring to one thing.

"About this." He shoved the Sunday Prophet under her nose and she gasped at the clear picture of Ron on the cover.

**  
** High Jacked Hero Comes Home

_Ronald Bilius Weasley, one of the famous friends of Harry Potter has finally come home. Mr. Weasley had gone missing on June 24th, 1999. With no leads as to his whereabouts the search for him had been fruitless. Now after almost four years he was spotted in Diagon Alley only yesterday. No clue yet as to what kept him away for so long or why he is back. It had been speculated that he had been captured by Death Eaters that had gone un-captured after the final battle, but there has been no evidence to support that theory. We will have more information for you dear reader as soon as the ministry has released it to us._

Hermione set the paper down on the desk and braced herself for the anger that she knew was coming. What she saw in his face though was not anger but hurt and fear.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as she continued to stroke her fingers through his hair. "I should have told you, but I only found out yesterday I swear. I just needed some time to process it."

"And was that why the Weaslette was here this morning?"

Hermione quickly recovered from her annoyance at his use of that nickname for Ginny; she told herself that he was only lashing out because she had been deceitful. "She was here to tell me some news of it, yes."

"And…"

"…And Ron is back, though his memory seems to have been altered or repressed or something, they aren't really sure at this point." She looked away from him for a moment and focused her eyes on the painting on the wall as she tried to hold the tears back yet again. When she finally felt that she was able to control herself she looked back towards her husband. "He doesn't remember me." Her voice had been calm and she was grateful for that.

"Really? So what are Potter and Ginny going to do about that?" His voice was almost pleading, and she immediately felt a new wave of guilt wash over her for not having told him all of this in the first place.

"Nothing." His look of shock was quickly replaced with one of relief and then his trademark smirk. "We decided that it would be best if he should remain ignorant of our past, for him… and for us." At Hermione's mention of us the smirk was wiped away and replaced with a genuine smile. She leaned down and kissed his mouth gently with relief that he hadn't mentioned anything about last night as well.

**A/N: So I would love to hear what you think so far. I know it is still in the beginning and there are way more questions than answers, it will be like that for a while. Hope you are enjoying and thanks for taking the time to read.**


	4. In the Four Years

Ron's return had not been easy for him. After the initial shock of realizing exactly how long he had been gone, he sank into a depression about all of the time that he had missed. His sister was now not only dating his best friend, but living with him. Percy was married, Bill and Fleur had their first child with another one on the way, George and Angelina Johnson had started dating, and the only thing that he could console himself with was that Charlie hadn't changed at all.

His sister and Harry had made him dinner that Sunday night and told him about everything that had gone on in his absence. It seemed to him like there had been memories that they had skirted around, as if they were avoiding mentioning something to him, but he couldn't exactly figure out what. They had told him about everyone he cared about, hell they even clued him into what Malfoy had been up to.

They had invited him to stay with them while he got back on his feet. He was to work with George in the shop as he had been doing before he had been taken. Even though there were no memories of his abduction, or proof for that matter, he knew that was what had happened. There were scars on his body that he didn't remember having before. One that cut through the right side of his upper lip, a jagged scar that ran through his left eyebrow, and the worst were the slashes that ran down his back as if he had been whipped repeatedly, which could have been the case. How else would he have gotten those marks if it had all been on the up and up?

Ron agreed to stay there, but only until he got a place of his own, something which he planned on doing as soon as possible. It was just too weird to be around Harry and Ginny while they were being all couple-y. He needed some time to adjust to everything. It didn't help that reporters had been swarming around the house all afternoon, forcing him to remain indoors.

"I think I'll just head off to bed now." Ron said after he finished his meal and could no longer bear to hear any more of the details of the life that he missed.

He ignored the pointed look that Harry and Ginny shared and trudged his way up the stairs into their guest bedroom. He took in the yellow walls and floral bedspread knowing that it must have been his sister that decorated this room. He crawled into the sheets and covered himself completely with them. There was a faint smell that lingered on the sheets and felt familiar and comforting. It reminded him of the field of bluebells behind The Burrow. He breathed in heavily and let the scent of the flower over take his senses. He was breathing in and out slowly and before he knew it he had fallen into a peaceful sleep.

*****

The next day found Ron somewhat refreshed, but not optimistic. He was supposed to meet with Harry's boss Reynolds and go over any details that he remembered in order to catch whoever had done this to him, but all Ron wanted to do was stay under the covers and sulk. He couldn't help but feel guilty for all of the time he had missed, even though his rational mind told him that it was stupid and it hadn't been his fault. The irrational part of him wouldn't listen.

He grumbled as he placed his feet on the shag carpeting that covered the floor of the room and squinched his toes into it. Everything felt as if he hadn't done it for a while. The littlest things would trigger another pang of remorse and regret for not being there. He slipped into the clean clothes that Ginny had brought over from the Burrow the day before, and they were a little loose as he seemed to have lost some weight since the last time that he wore them. They also were a bit short. He must have grown at least another inch or two since he had been gone.

He went downstairs slowly, trying his best to delay the inevitable. Harry was sitting at the kitchen table with a sausage held up to his mouth with one hand and The Daily Prophet in the other. Ron could see a picture of his face from 7th year beaming out from the paper. It had been taken a few months after the final battle at a ceremony where they had bestowed an award to everyone who had participated in the fight against Voldemort. They had given him an additional award along with Harry for extra special services. He moved closer to get a better look at the picture. It was one that he had taken with Harry, and he could see Harry smiling just to the left of him. Ron thought that he made out someone else standing to the right of him, but he couldn't be sure; Harry had folded the paper in half to read the article. He moved in a bit closer trying to get a hint as to who it might have been.

Ron couldn't recall anyone taking that particular photo with them, but just as he was able to catch a glimpse of a bit of curly, or rather bushy hair, Harry folded the paper over so that the picture was completely hidden.

"Morning," Harry said as he took a bite off of his sausage. "Hep yowsef." Harry chewed while he pointed with the remainder of his sausage to the spread that had been laid out on the table. Ron's stomach grumbled, and all thoughts of the photo left as he took a heaping plateful of scrambled eggs and sausages.

"So what time do we have to leave?" Ron asked, as he shoveled a large bite into his mouth.

"We've got about thirty minutes. Reynolds usually doesn't get in until 9."

"Watsee gonna afk?"

Harry laughed at his friend and said, "Now I remember why I shouldn't talk with my mouth full."

"What?" Ron shrugged his shoulders and went back to his plate.

Thirty minutes, a full stomach, and a lengthening spell on his trousers later, and Ron and Harry were off to the Ministry via the floo network.

Ron brushed the ash off of his shoulder and out of his hair as he exited one of the fireplaces that were along the walls of the atrium of the Ministry. He stepped aside so that when Harry came through he wouldn't end up getting pushed to the floor. He waited only a few moments before the flash of green and a slight whoosh came from the fire place that he had just stepped out from to indicate that Harry had arrived.

Ron followed as Harry led him through the ministry. The lift opened on level two and they went down the hall and stepped into the flurry that was the Auror Headquarters. There was a hum of excitement and a rush of paper airplanes swooshing past their heads. Harry pulled Ron towards a small office off to the right of the rest of the cubicles. _Jedadiah Reynolds _was carved into a wooden name plate that was stuck to the door. Harry knocked lightly with the knuckle of his middle finger.

"Enter," came a gruff voice from the other side.

Whatever Ron had been expecting when he first saw Auror Reynolds, it was not what he got. A five foot tall man with curly silver hair spilling out of his head stood in the middle of the room with a file in his hands. He was not only short, but appeared to be rather thin as well, and Ron wondered how a man of this stature got to be the head of the Auror department.

"Sit," growled that same gruff voice, which didn't seem to have any business coming out the tiny man's mouth.

Ron immediately obeyed with Harry only a moment behind him. They sat in two of the five chairs that were placed in a circle in the middle of the room. There was only a thin table that sat along one wall, and the rest of the room was taken up with filing cabinets and maps of all sizes.

Reynolds remained standing and started reading the file in his hand. "So," his voice broke out, "I see that you have been gone for three years and eleven months, is that correct?" He kept his eyes on the file, but Ron could sense that he was listening alertly.

"Erm…"

Reynolds didn't wait for Ron to answer, "Where exactly were you when you were taken?"

"I was in Diago…"

"I meant," and Reynolds pulled at a curl from his head as he looked up from the file, "where in Diagon Alley were you? Which store were you in front of?"

"I don't…oh wait! I think I had just left Flourish and Blotts."

"And what were you doing there?"

"Buying a book, I guess." Reynolds shot him a hard stare and Ron understood now how he had managed to get the position he was in. "I mean, I don't really remember," he corrected himself.

Reynolds ignored Ron's last statement and moved on with the questions. "What is your next memory after that?"

"It is all a bit hazy…sir," he belatedly added. "I can't really seem to get a grasp on anything until I found myself somewhere in Wales."

"Where in Wales, exactly?"

"I-I don't know.I apparated after I realized that I wasn't near home."

Reynolds grunted and flipped one of the pages in the file. "So, is there nothing that you can remember that would be of any use to us?"

Ron tried to think. He closed his eyes tight, wanting to envision something that might help, but all he could glean was the feel of a wrinkled little hand on his brow. He mentioned this but wasn't sure if it would be of any help.

"Well we will be looking into this." Reynolds looked back up from the file. "We are rather busy at the moment, what with the werewolf attacks that just happened in Surrey, but we'll see what we can do."

Ron nodded at him and took that as his clue to get up and go. "It was nice to meet you Mr. Weasley, glad to see you are back safe." Then Reynolds cracked a smile and stretched his hand out for a shake. Ron jerked back slightly at the surprising friendliness, then shook the proffered hand and exited the office with Harry following behind.

"Well that was…"

"Yeah," Harry said. "He's brilliant."

"He's scary."

"Yeah, that too." Harry chuckled and patted his friend on the back.

"I guess I'll be off then, see you tonight." Ron walked down the hall and towards the lift. He barely registered the journey through the Ministry and back to Harry and Ginny's place. All he could think about was why he was in Flourish and Blotts on that fateful day. He didn't know what it was, but he was sure that that was important somehow.

*****

"He won't come out of his room. He was supposed to start working at the shop on Monday after his meeting with Harry's boss, but George said that he didn't show." Ginny's head hung in the fireplace of the back parlor of Hermione's home. "I'm sorry to bother you with this, I just didn't know who else to ask. You knew him the best…" Ginny's voice trailed off at the sight of Hermione's stoney face.

"That was a long time ago Ginny," was her only reply.

"I know, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

Hermione's face lightened a bit. "It's okay; I shouldn't have reacted like that. It's not your fault that…well, it's not your fault. Have you tried inviting him to watch one of your practices?"

"That's a brilliant idea. Hermione you are truly the best. Thanks."

"Sure," she said absently, as Ginny's head popped back out of the fire place. She had done everything she could not to think about Ron for the past few days. She didn't think about him when she was researching for her book, she didn't think of him when she went shopping for more potions supplies, she didn't think of him while she ate dinner with Draco. It had been a full three days of consciously not thinking of Ron, and it was driving her mad.

It was Wednesday, and knowing what the evening would bring made her heart beat with a mixture of dread and anticipation. Part of her wanted to avoid the occasion entirely, not wanting to breach the well placed wall that she had conjured up to forget about him. The other part longed to envision his face in her mind and pretend just for a moment that things were not as they were.

She stood from her chair and put out the fire in the fireplace. It would be a long day and she needed to get started on her research if she was ever to get the final chapter of her book to the editor. Over a year of work, and she almost had it completed. Now it was down to this one last bit, a finale for her book on the influence of the Ancient Egyptians on modern day magic.

It had actually been inspired by Ron; something that she had wanted to write since Ron had told her that story about the cursed tomb they had tried to break into when his family had gone to Egypt all those years ago. She shook her head, ridding herself of the thought of him. It was Draco she really had to thank. It was he who had given her the ways and the means of taking off from her job at the Ministry in order to complete her treatise.

She could hardly believe that it was almost four years ago that she had been assigned to Draco as his M.C.O, or Magical Corrections Officer. It was essentially the same thing as a muggle probation officer. She remembered being assigned his case days before, and her indignation at having to deal on a weekly basis with Malfoy was contagious.

Ron had even suggested going to Kingsley to prevent it, and even worse coming to the office that Friday to 'stand guard' so to speak. Hermione refused of course, but come Friday the last thing that she thought about was Draco Malfoy.

Ron had been taken only the day before. Mechanically she got dressed that next morning and gone to work, not even registering what she was wearing or how she looked. When she did get to her desk, a small cubical set close to the constant frenzy of the Auror's department, she finally cracked.

It was in that first moment of realization that Draco sauntered into her cube. She didn't even have the energy to stop her tears from falling or her chest from heaving. Hermione just sat there in utter desperation as her school enemy looked on. She waited for the scornful remark to come but it never did. Instead Draco just stood there and waited. It was his calm silence that jolted her out of her grief.

"What are you looking at?" She snapped.

He shook his head. "Heard about Weasley. Suppose that's why you're crying, is it?"

She bristled at his response. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing," he shrugged his shoulders. "Can we get on with this, then?"

She reviewed his file with him, along with his year and a half long probationary period. Hermione didn't relish the idea of meeting with Draco on a weekly basis for that long, but she had only had the job for a few months and couldn't afford to be picky. She would just have to deal with him for half an hour a week and move on.

It was strange how their relationship built from MCO/probationee, to acquaintances, and then to friends. It had just snuck up on her one day when he had come in for their weekly meeting carrying a cup of coffee with him, black with two sugars, just for her. It was almost towards the end of his eighteen month probation that he had asked her to go to lunch with him for the first time.

When his probation was over, their lunches became a weekly ritual. It was the only thing in her life that didn't remind her of her past happiness. She began to rely on them more and more, and to her surprise, on him more and more. Slowly but surely, he had whittled away at her defenses, until she finally agreed to go on a proper date with him.

He had been a rock in her time of need, and it was only natural for her to accept when he finally proposed. Theirs wasn't a long engagement, as he seemed to fear the possibility of outside influence to dissuade her. He hadn't been wrong to fear it. Besides the fact that both of his parents refused to accept his choice, her friends had not been happy about it either. In the end, both opposing factions accepted it resignedly, and Hermione became Mrs. Draco Malfoy.


	5. Catching a Break

The day had not proved to be as productive as she had hoped. She found that her mind refused to focus on the task at hand and constantly drifted off in the direction that she swore to herself it would no longer go. After three hours of attempting to write she called for a break and decided to go to the kitchen to make herself a snack. When she opened the door she was surprised to see Twinkles small form sitting curled up on one of the chairs.

She looked up at Hermione's entrance and immediately wiped away a stray tear from her eyes and curtseyed, "Mistress will excuse Twinkles, Twinkles is not knowing you are needing anything"

Hermione forgetting her own troubles for a moment went over to her house elf and knelt down to eye level. "No apologies necessary Twinkles." Hermione pet the elf on the arm, "now tell me, what has you so upset?"

"No, No, No, mistress should not be worrying about poor Twinkles. Twinkles is fine." The elf stood up straight and put a smile on her face.

"Twinkles, really tell me what is wrong; maybe I can help."

Even though it wasn't meant to be an order the elf was compelled to now answer her master. "It is poor Boof, she is being very sick and I is just getting a letter that says Boof will not be making it." The elf broke into tears once again and Hermione embraced her tiny form and did her best to comfort Twinkles.

Hermione pulled herself back from the elf's heaving form and looked at her tear filled brown eyes, "You should go to Boof. You can take the week off."

The elf wiped at her eyes, "No, I is not able to leave for a week. I is just having my day off."

Hermione stood and looked at her elf, rarely had she ever given an order to her Twinkles, but she would not allow the elf's compulsion to take care of them to let her miss out on seeing her sister just before she died. "I am not making a request Twinkles, you will take this week off and visit your sister, starting right now." She turned and walked straight out of the kitchen in order to give the elf some time alone as well as make it harder for Twinkles to protest anymore.

*****

That night at dinner Hermione sat across from her husband as she always had. The door to the kitchen opened up to reveal an older woman with graying black hair and a crooked smile with a tray in her hands and an apron tied around her waist. She brought Hermione her dish first and then went over to serve the master of the house. Draco, who had been reading over some paperwork hadn't noticed her entrance.

He looked up at her approach, "who are you?" His voice came out thick and accusing.

"She is Miranda and is going to be our cook and housemaid for the week." Hermione rang back with a slightly icy edge.

"Oh? Where is Twinkles then? Don't tell me you have given her another day off already."

"As a matter of fact I have given her a week off." She cut fiercely into her steak and looked down at her plate in anger.

"A WHOLE WEEK?" Miranda, who had just placed the plate down in front of Draco, jumped back at his yell and scurried into the kitchen as quickly as her stumpy legs would take her.

"Yes," Hermione kept her voice even and calm, "a whole week. Her sister Boof has fallen ill and I have ordered Twinkles to her side." She took a bite of the steak.

"Boof?" Hermione was pleased to note that his face had paled slightly in guilt.

"Yes, Boof. Her sister. You have met her before, she works for the Nott's, though I gather that they do not give her nearly what she deserves. A mere sickle a month and only one day off every two." Hermione continued to ramble on about the mistreatment of Boof and other house elves. She knew that Draco was hardly listening to her, he had never been interested in her attempts at gaining freedoms for the house elves; though he did not usually complain about the way that she handled Twinkles.

Once dinner had been cleared and Draco had become resigned to the elf being absent for a week Hermione knew that the night would progress as it always had on Wednesdays. She had been bracing herself for this all day. It wasn't that she didn't want to have sex with her husband, what she didn't want was for it to be a catalyst for her to remember the way that she had been with Ron. She wanted to be able to start over, the way that Ron was given the chance, though losing her memories was not the way in which she wanted to do it.

He combed his fingers through his blond hair, an action that she found he did when he was anticipating something. She hadn't seen him make that gesture on a Wednesday night since the first month of their marriage. She considered this and figured that it must be due to their interlude the previous Saturday.

Hermione couldn't bear to have a repeat performance of that, because while it had been the best sex that they had ever had, the after affects had completely worn her down. She had gone to bed that night and cried herself to sleep, not allowing herself even the privilege of looking through her treasure box of memories.

She sighed inwardly and rose from her chair, though she did not look at Draco, she could feel his eyes on her as she left the dining room. It would be only moments before he followed her. Carefully she walked up the steps, each footfall felt heavier then the last, as if she were walking to her death and not her bedroom.

The sound of the dining room door opening jolted her slightly, and his steady footsteps could be heard walking across the tile floor. She took another step and found herself on the second floor landing. When she didn't hear him coming up behind her she turned to look down at him. Draco was standing there, watching her with a pained expression on his face.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, yes, everything is fine," he said distractedly. "I just have some work to do. I'm afraid we will have to postpone our usual activities, don't wait up." He walked out of her view and towards the den.

Hermione stood there shock and relief being the two most dominant feelings coursing through her. She took her chance and ran back down the stairs and into the back parlor where she sat on her favorite chair and pulled out the book that she was currently reading. She didn't dwell on his reasons, all she did was bask in the freedom of her escape.

*****

"Ron!" Ron groaned and pulled the pillow in on his ears to drown out the sound of his little sister. After about ten minutes of her constant yelling his name and pounding on the door he gave up. Ron glanced at the clock and saw that it was only 7 in the morning.

"Alright, alright, I'm up." His voice grew progressively louder with every syllable. He yanked the door open. "What?"

"Good morning?" Ginny sang and with an eerily cheery smile on her face she sauntered into the bedroom.

Ron scratched at his head. "What are you so happy about?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just a beautiful day for practice." She danced towards the window and looked out.

"Yeah, well it's seven-bloody-fifteen in the morning, it will still be beautiful at eleven. You can tell me all about it then." Ron slipped back into his bed and pulled the covers over his head. Just as quickly as he was able to put them on he felt Ginny tug them off and the light from the now completely opened window glared down on him.

"I thought it might be nice if you came to see my practice today." Her sing-song voice replaced with the sterner one that Ron had always associated with his mother. It was the, you-are-going-to-do-as-I-ask-or-else, voice.

He groaned and turned to look at her. "Your practice isn't until ten; that gives me two hours and forty more minutes to sleep." He pulled the covers back over his head.

"Yes, well I think you should consider getting some new clothes before practice."

"What for?" He peeked out from under the covers at her. "Those are perfectly fine."

Ginny walked to the clothes that were draped over the back of the desk chair and picked the trousers up with her thumb and pointer finger. "These…" she said as she dropped them back down, "do not fit, nor are they clean, and frankly they stink quite a lot." Her hands were on her hips and being gone for four years did not mean that he did not recognize her do-not-argue-with-me-because-you-wont-win posture.

"Fine!" He sat up and flung the covers off of himself. "Do I have time to take a shower master?" He bowed to her slightly.

"Yes, I should think so. Your clothes aren't the only things that stink in here." She grinned as she walked out of the room and shut the door. Ron stomped out of his room, towel in tow, and went to the bathroom. The shower had revived him somewhat, but he would never be a morning person and he still continued to yawn throughout breakfast.

Shopping was the last thing that he wanted to be doing at the moment, or ever actually, unless it was for a new broom, and he trudged along Diagon Alley slowly hoping to delay the inevitable. Ginny, he could see, was getting impatient with him and began to drag him along at a faster clip.

"C'mon Ron, it'll only take a few minutes."

It did not however, and an hour later they left the shop with three bags of robes, trousers and shirts, all of which had needed to be altered to fit his unusually tall form.

"See that wasn't so bad?" Ginny said cheerfully.

"Yeah right, as much as fun as sticking quills in my eyes."

She rolled her eyes, but Ron hadn't had any time to respond because the next moment brought him face to face with Draco Malfoy.

"Weasley," Malfoy gave him a slight nod and then gave Ginny a small smile that looked as if it were trying very hard not to be a sneer.

"Malfoy." Ron nodded back and went to grab Ginny's arm in order to rush her away, but she stood firm.

"How is Hermione?" Ginny asked him and Ron watched Malfoy's face change to that of concern.

"She's okay," Malfoy darted a quick glance in Ron's direction, "better than, actually." He smirked at Ginny, but Ron noticed a slight tremor when his eyes yet again grazed over him.

"Well, tell her I said hi," she then nodded her head in the direction that they had been walking, a signal for Ron to follow her.

"Yeah. Will do." Malfoy said when they were a couple of steps away. Ron turned back to look at the former Slytherin only to see his back and his blond hair bounce slightly as he walked.

When they had gone a block or so Ron felt it safe to broach the subject that had been niggling at him since their little confrontation. "What in the hell was that all about."

"What was what all about?" Ginny asked back.

He stopped walking and took a long look at his sister. "Since when do you talk to Malfoy? And why did he keep looking at me like that, it was creepy."

"I told you that Malfoy married Hermione Granger, well Hermione and I are friends and therefore Malfoy and I have come to an understanding." She hadn't stopped walking and at this she started to pick up her pace. "Now c'mon, I don't want to be late."

"Don't avoid the question Ginny," Ron stated as he jogged a bit to catch up to her quickened pace, though admittedly with his long strides it didn't take long.

"I answered your question."

"No you didn't, why was he looking at me that way?"

"What way? Do you think I know the inner workings of Draco Malfoy just because we are now civil to one another? Besides I didn't notice anything." She turned her head away from Ron so he wasn't able to tell from her face if she was lying, but her voice sounded steady and he shrugged it off. Maybe he was just being paranoid after everything that had happened.

Five minutes later found Ron sitting in the stands of the practice Quidditch field for the Holyhead Harpies. Ginny hadn't had time to introduce him to the rest of her team before she had to be up in the sky, so Ron just sat back and watched as his little sister flew around the pitch in wonderful form. Ginny had been smart to drag him out here, for it was exactly what he needed. Ron became so engrossed in watching the practice that he had forgotten why he was so upset in the first place. He had spent too long out of the people that he loved lives, and he had just wasted almost a week in sulking. The hour and half flew by and even though he hadn't been introduced to her teammates Ron felt as if he knew them already.

There was the blonde chaser that always feinted to the right but shot in the center. Then there was the dark skinned girl who played beater, her swing would have put both of the twins to shame. There was the other chaser with the spiky brown hair that flew amazingly fast, but didn't have as good of an aim as Ginny and the blonde. The other beater and seeker looked very much alike, and though they played different positions they seemed to fly in similar styles. Last there was the keeper, Ron watched her most intently looking for any trick that he might be able to use when he played with his brothers.

When practice was over Ginny brought her teammates over to Ron for introductions. Their names were all spouted off in order, but as soon as he heard them they left his head. There was no way he would remember all of that. The only name that stuck in his mind was that of the keeper, Blakely Windsor.

She had appeared to be tall for a girl when Ron saw her from the ground as she attended her goals, now that they were near each other he noticed that she was more than just tall, she practically an Amazon woman. She had to be at least six feet tall, her dark blond hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and it hung down to her mid back. She wasn't beautiful, but she wasn't hideous either, and he had to note that she had just come from practice and that if she was cleaned up a bit she might be even rather nice to look at.

"Ginny says that you were a keeper at school?" Blakely questioned Ron as they all walked towards the apparation point.

"Yeah," he shrugged his shoulders and hoped that the slight heat he felt in his ears could not be seen through his mop of hair.

"Maybe we could practice together sometime." She winked. Ron felt his face flush slightly at her forwardness.

"S-Sure, that'd be…fun." He of course wasn't sure of anything that had happened during those four years of memory loss, but he doubted that he had been with a girl during that time. Since that was the case he felt a bit rusty, he hadn't snogged a girl since Lavender Brown in sixth year, and he had never actually dated anyone because Lavender did not count.

"Blakely! Stop hitting on my brother! It's…" she looked at Ron's flushing cheeks, "gross!" She pushed Ron forward and further away from the tall keeper.

"Hey!" Blakely shouted after them. "Pick you up Friday at seven." She winked one more time and then Ron felt the familiar tug as Ginny had grabbed hold of him and apparated them both home.


	6. Keeping Up Appearances

"Hey!" Ron pulled out of her grasp as they landed in front of the house. "What's the big idea?"

"I wanted to get home. The smell from these robes was starting to make me dizzy." She moved past her brother and towards the front door.

"I can apparate on my own y'know. You could have let me stay behind." His eyes glazed over slightly, "I was having a good conversation."

Ginny rolled her eyes at him, pushed the front door open, and made her way up the stairs before he was able to protest anymore. She went straight for the bathroom and drew a nice warm bath; practice had been hard.

The scent of jasmine floated around the room as she poured the bubble bath into the tub. Little bubbles the size of peas erupted over top of the water and Ginny stuck her toe in tentatively before totally immersing herself into the water.

She sat back, her neck resting along the edge of the tub. Ginny didn't know why she was so upset about Blakely asking Ron out. Ron was a free man, and it wasn't as if this was odd behavior for her teammate. She tried to reason that it was just because it was her brother and he wasn't yet ready to take on the Amazon woman that was Blakely, but she knew that a big part of her just didn't want Ron to move on. She still hoped that there was a way to bring her best friend and her brother back together again.

Even though it had partly been her idea to let him stay in the dark (not that they would really have been able to get his memory back without knowing exactly how it was erased), she regretted that suggestion every time she thought of the happiness that those two had once shared. Ginny found that she constantly had to remind herself that this was what was best, that Hermione was now married to the ferret, and that this would make everyone's life easier. However, reconciling herself to this way of thinking was proving much harder than she had bargained for.

She stayed in the tub until the water cooled. The bubbles slowly died away, and she could feel the odd sensation of her pruney fingers rubbing along her skin. She had hoped that that bath would relax her, and though her body did feel refreshed her thoughts churned inside of her head, constantly at odds with what she felt to be right and what made the most sense.

When she got out of the bath she was shocked by the time. Ginny hadn't figured that she had been there for more than two hours, but one look at the clock showed her that it was already past two. She would have to start dinner soon if she wanted to have it ready by five.

Ron was in the kitchen when she got in, and he gave her a scowl as she walked towards the table.

"What are you doing in here? You haven't been eating the contents of the cupboard have you?" She put her hands on her hips and looked around for evidence that he had ransacked their weeklong food supply.

"No, I haven't been eating your food!" He looked at her resentfully. "I was just thinking, is all."

Ginny sat down next to him. "What about?"

He shrugged, "Nuthin' I guess, just…"

"Just what?" Ginny prompted.

He hesitated for another moment. "Well it's just that it feels weird, going on this date with Blakely. I don't know why but I feel guilty, like I am doing something wrong." He shrugged again. "Prob'ly just nerves." He got up and walked towards the kitchen door.

"Yeah, probably." He looked back at her and she gave him a wan smile. Then he pushed the door open and left her to brood some more.

*****

There was a loud rap at the front door and Hermione groaned inwardly at the prospect of spending the entire evening with her in-laws. It was their monthly dinner, and she loathed every moment of the obligation. She had neatly pinned her hair up and gone to great lengths to appear to be what Narcissa felt was a worthy wife. She only bothered because it was easier then listening to her snide comments all evening.

Draco had never asked her to go to all the trouble that she went through for his parents, but especially now she felt that it was her duty to make this dinner go as smoothly as possible. Surprisingly enough, it was not Lucius's presence that was daunting, but that of Narcissa. Since the war, Lucius had slipped into a resigned hopelessness that actually left him bearable to be around. Narcissa was a different matter all together; she felt that she needed to take charge now that Lucius had slipped into a downward spiral of moroseness. Her view on Hermione, though not as harsh as Lucius's had been, was still enough to bring the ever-underhanded compliments that Narcissa was so good at.

It was less that Hermione was a 'mudblood' and more that Hermione was just not good enough for her son, if there was any woman who could be.

Hermione opened the door with all the composure that she was able to muster on such occasions, a plastic smile plastered on her face.

"Good evening Narcissa." And with a nod in his direction, "Lucius. Won't you come in?"

Narcissa pushed her way past Hermione and into their entryway while Lucius trudged behind his wife with a vacant look in his eyes. Draco appeared at the top of the stairs and shouted a greeting down to his parents.

"Oh Draco, it's been ages." Narcissa said, heading towards the bottom of the stairs to await her son. When he arrived she gave him a small hug and then a quick look over.

"You look a bit thin, has Hermione been feeding you?" Her voice was soft, but the accusation was clear.

"Yes, mother." Draco moved past his mother to shake the hand of his father and Hermione noted the limp way in which Lucius grasped at his son. It seemed to be getting worse, and though she knew that Lucius had deserved everything that he was now feeling, a part of her felt bad for the shell of the man standing in front of her. Mostly because she knew how it affected Draco to see his father in this state.

Hermione ushered them into the dining room and Narcissa quickly grabbed Draco's attention with mindless chatter about nothing in particular. Lucius and Hermione sat in silence, sipping at the wine Draco had opened for the occasion.

Miranda bustled in with the soup that would serve as their first course. Narcissa eyed their temporary housekeeper warily.

"And who is this lovely woman?" She asked Draco.

"Miranda, Mother. She is working here temporarily while Twinkles visits her sister." Hermione was pleased to note that his voice was free of any hint of the incredulousness that he had displayed only the night before. He took a measured sip from his spoon.

"Twinkles is visiting her sister? Why ever for?" Narcissa gave Hermione a flash of a tight smile.

"It seems that her sister is rather ill mother, Hermione felt," at this Hermione gave Draco a pointed look, "and I agree," he added, "that it was only proper that she spend the remaining moments that Boof has left with her."

Narcissa smiled at her son with a glowing gaze and patted his arm. "How very generous of you, Draco."

Hermione knew that she felt her son was a saint for putting up with Hermione's ideals about house elf rights. She bit her inner cheeks in order to prevent herself from saying something that would upset them all. The rest of dinner past at an agonizingly slow pace, and Hermione found herself drinking more wine than she usually would. Her head buzzed slightly as she showed her in-laws out of the house once the evening had ended.

As she shut the door behind them the air suddenly felt lighter, and dizziness enveloped her. She wobbled slightly and Draco, who had been standing behind her, had to hold her steady. His arms circled around her and she let herself fall into them. The stress of their family dinners always made her feel drained and empty.

Draco fingered his hands through her hair, undoing the tight pin up that she had done earlier. "It's all over," he whispered in her ear as her hair fell down around her shoulders.

She mumbled incoherently into his chest and felt his body shake as he chuckled lightly.

"How about we go out to dinner tomorrow night? Just the two of us."

Hermione nodded into his chest as he continued to run his fingers through her hair.

*****

The care that she took to get ready the following night was different from how she had prepared the night before. She let her hair fall loosely in untamed curls around her face and down her back, and instead of the high collared black dress robes from the night before she wore light green robes that flowed and let her breath.

This was just what they needed, what she needed, not only because of the night before but to get back to where they were before Ron had come home. Granted, she knew it hadn't been all roses then, but since his return she sensed a tenseness in Draco that had made her think of Ron even more. If this marriage was going to survive, she would just have to put the past behind her and move on.

Draco pushed the door open to the restaurant and gently guided her in with his hand on the small of her back. It was where they had gone on their first real date. The Avalon was always crowded, but even more so because it was a Friday night. Hermione and Draco squeezed their way through the crowd to the podium that held the hostess.

"Table for two." Draco then slipped a galleon covertly into the witch's hand.

She nodded, "Right this way sir, miss." She led them through the crowd towards the center of the restaurant where there was a small table for two.

Hermione glanced around the room taking in the site of all of the other patrons eating, talking, and enjoying their Friday night. Her breath hitched in her chest and her heart stopped as she saw a shock of red hair sitting a few tables behind theirs towards the back of the restaurant.

Thankfully, Draco had been preoccupied with pulling out her chair and didn't notice her little spasm. Hermione quickly collected her wits and spoke her new mantra over and over again in her head as she placed a smile onto her face. She sat down and focused on the place setting in front of her. The leaf pattern of the plate that looked to be hand painted in gold was very interesting, and she mentioned to Draco her amazement at the beautiful china.

Draco looked at her archly, and Hermione blushed. She felt nervous, almost the way that she had felt on their first date; though this time the nerves were not from being near Draco. Her fingers fidgeted with the napkin that had been placed diligently onto her lap.

"So, how was your day?" Draco asked as he took a sip from his water glass.

"Fine. Just fine." She said distractedly.

Thankfully, the waiter had come to provide the much needed interruption.

"What may I get you to drink?" He asked in a slightly nasal voice.

Draco looked over the wine list and ordered one of the more expensive bottles. The waiter smiled in recognition of Draco's good taste and went off to fetch it.

"How was your day?" Hermione continued before Draco could get the chance to question her again. She reached one hand across the table to pat his in a loving gesture as she sneaked a glance over Draco's shoulder and at the table where the red head sat with a girl that had her long, dark blond hair flowing freely down her back. She couldn't make out the girls face, and then Draco called her attention away by answering.

"Good. It was rather busy, what with the confusion over the merger, but I was able to smooth everything out in the end." His face broke out into his familiar smirk, obviously satisfied with himself. Hermione smiled at him, hoping that he wouldn't catch the glimpse of annoyance that she wasn't able to contain.

He went off into a tirade about some work thing or another, which was fine with Hermione because she was then able to focus more of her attention at what was going on at the table in front of her. The blond had tilted her head back in laughter, and a pang of jealousy flashed through Hermione. She saw that Ron was telling the girl some story, and the smile on his face showed to her that he was enjoying himself just as much as his date seemed to be.

She looked back at her husband, who seemed to have stopped talking and was now looking at her expectantly. She hadn't been paying attention and wasn't even able to begin to hazard a guess as to what she was to say.

She finally decided on the safe bet of, "That's nice Draco," and hoped that it had worked.  
It seemed to have been the response he had been looking for, because a rare grin broke out on his stony face.

"I'm glad you think so. It will mean us moving there for a couple of years, but I just can't trust anyone else to do the job for me."

She was stunned. One-she had no idea where he was now talking about moving, and two- she had just agreed to it. Why wasn't she just able to control herself and focus on the man in front of her instead of letting her mind wander to things that could no longer be? Frustrated with herself, she took a long draught of the wine that the waiter had evidently poured out for her while her mind was focused elsewhere.

"So, when do you think we would have to leave?" Hermione eked out, hoping to get some more information without it sounding like she had not been paying attention.

"Well, the deal will close up in about three weeks time. I figure in about a month we could have everything settled. I know it's rather far, but you can always take a portkey home whenever you want."

"Yes, but won't that be expensive? I mean, a portkey from all that way?" She tried again to wheedle the information out of him.

Draco just shrugged. "What's a few hundred galleons once in a while when I will be making millions over there? Japan is the perfect place to open the new factory. The labor there is practically nothing…"

Hermione took an over large gulp of her wine. If she hadn't she would have scowled and scolded at his abuse of the working class Japanese, but as it was she was had stopped listening anyway and was now focusing intently on how she was going to live in Japan for a couple of years. Sure she had always wanted to go there, but more as a tourist and less as a resident.

She stared idly off into space, not realizing that she in fact was looking straight at Ron, so wrapped up was she in her own thoughts. Suddenly, it was like a bolt of lightning hit her and her eyes focused to see that Ron was now staring blankly back at her. She blushed and quickly averted her gaze, lifting her napkin to her face to hide the new pinky hue of her cheeks from her husband.

Draco was still droning on when the waiter again interrupted to bring them their salads. _When had they ordered?_ She thought absently. The meal was passing by and she had hardly listened to a word that her husband said. She made her mind up to really focus and she pointedly ignored the table that Ron was sitting at.

Occasionally, a tiny prickle would make its way down her back and she couldn't quite get over the feeling that she was being watched, but she ignored it and played the role of the dutiful wife. Of course now that she had sort of agreed to Draco's Japanese invasion, she didn't know exactly how she was going to broach the subject of her not going. That was something that she would work out later she supposed.

**A/N: So I thought I would be able to fit Ron's part of the date in here, but I was wrong and that will come next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one and that the dynamic of Hermione's relationship with her in-laws was believable. What do you think about Japan? All feedback is very much appreciated.******

**Thanks so much to my beta Georgia Weasley**


	7. Deja Vu

Dinner was going brilliantly, Ron's jokes were getting more than enough laughter and Blakely had been dropping suggestive hints all night. He found that she was easy enough to talk to, and even though there had been moments during which neither knew exactly what to say, eventually one of them would be able to break the ice and banter would flow freely once more. It was right after he had finished telling a particularly great story about one of the pranks the twins had pulled on him when he was younger that he felt someone's eyes on him. He looked towards the middle of the restaurant and saw her.

He recognized her right away, though she undoubtedly looked different from when he last remembered seeing her, and that memory was vague at best. He felt a warm sense of familiarity crawl down his spine. She had been looking straight at him but he could tell that she was not really seeing him; she was off in some daydream. Ron could hardly blame her, look who her companion was. The white blond head of Draco Malfoy was identifiable from a mile away.

Then her eyes snapped and a ripple of desire shot through him as her big brown eyes focused on his. As quickly as it happened, it was over and she had looked away, pulling her napkin to her face to hide the blush that he noticed creeping up her neck and to her cheeks.

"Oi!" Blakely snapped her fingers in front of his face and he blinked, awakening as if from a dream, and finally realized where he was and with whom.

He shook his head slightly, "Sorry. So what were you saying?"

She brushed her fingers lightly over his hand, "Just that we should go someplace more private after this." Her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief, though Ron hardly noticed.

"Yeah, sounds good." He said distractedly as he put a rather large bite of potato into his mouth.

The rest of the dinner went by in a blur of food, idle chitchat laced with innuendo, and random pangs of jealously that baffled him. He tried to stay focused on his date, but his eyes wandered of their own accord; always focusing in on Hermione Gran…no Malfoy. He watched her place her hand in his, watched as she smiled lightly at him, and found himself wishing more than once that he were sitting across from her instead of his date.

It was the most absurd feeling that he had ever remembered having. He barely knew Hermione. Ron could not really even remember ever talking to her directly. Here he was, practically drooling into his chocolate cake over someone to whom he hadn't said more than three words in a row.

He felt a wave of relief when their dinner was over and he was finally able to leave the restaurant and not think of her piercing brown eyes any longer.

Blakely clasped his hand in a sweaty grip and they walked out of the restaurant together. Ron favored his old classmate with one last look as he exited the building. He wasn't exactly sure how he had managed to keep up any semblance of a conversation with his date, but she didn't seem to notice that anything was amiss. At least she didn't act as if she had, because as soon as they were out of site of the The Avalon, Blakely stopped them and pulled Ron into her.

For a moment he didn't realize what was going on, but when the familiar squeezing sensation enveloped him he knew that she must have apparated them. They were now standing outside a door to what Ron only could presume to be her flat.

"Come on in," Blakely invited as she opened the door with a quick flick of her wand and led him into the small, cramped apartment. There were clothes strewn about the floor and furniture, Ron was barely able to discern the pattern on the couch from what appeared to be a night coat and a couple of dresses.

Not being the neatest person in the world, he had no room to judge, but for some reason his messy bedroom and her messy apartment felt different.

"Have a seat. I'll just go get you something to nibble on." She went into what Ron assumed to be the kitchen and he sat precariously on the edge of a chair that had a towel flung over the top. Seeing as they had just had dinner, he might have thought it odd that she was offering him something more to eat, but as he was already feeling a slight hunger pang, he didn't argue.

"It's a nice place you got here." He shouted out, hoping that she could hear him and glad she couldn't see the grimace on his face.

"Thanks," he heard her voice echo back to him. "Sorry about the mess, been a bit busy with practice and all."

"It's all right," he shouted back. He literally twiddled his thumbs while waiting for Blakely to return, his confusion and pent up frustration at he knew not what, waiting to get out. She returned quickly and Ron looked up at the sound of the kitchen door swinging open.

His mouth dropped and his eyes practically flew out of his head; Blakely stood there in nothing but tiny black knickers. Her chest was bare and Ron involuntarily felt his groin twitch.

"Hungry?" She asked, as she stood in the doorway in what he believed to be the most provocative pose he had ever seen.

He gulped and her tinkling laughter rang throughout the room. Slowly she walked towards him, eyes focused, never leaving his.

Ron was afraid to stand up. He was afraid of what would be revealed if he should, and he wasn't sure at this moment if his legs would even hold him. She approached and reached a hand out that gripped his arm much harder then he thought possible.

She yanked him up so that he faltered and almost fell into her before he was able to regain control of his limbs, but only slightly. She brushed her long fingers into his hair and pulled him into a deep kiss.

His hormones raged and his mind drifted as their kiss deepened. She slowly backed away, leading him with her lips back towards her bedroom. They stumbled along the hall, kicking clothes and odd things out of the way.

Ron then found himself on top of her as they fell onto the bed, and now he was almost as eager as she was; each of them clawing and grasping at one another. She deftly removed his shirt, and before he knew it, his pants as well.

Then they became a fumbling of hands and mouths and teeth and legs. Just as he they came together, a sudden image popped into his head; one that he wasn't able to shake, nor did he want to.

Instead of seeing Blakely in front of him, he pictured a smaller, more petit frame writhing in time with him. A woman with wild brown hair and deep chestnut colored eyes. Ron felt weird about losing his virginity to this practical stranger. In some ways, he felt more practiced then he should, and in others he just felt that it was wrong… all wrong.

It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed it, because he definitely had; it was just a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach and niggled at his insides. When it was all over and they both lay on the bed, Ron possibly positioned on some odd bits of clothing as well, he felt empty. She snuggled into the crook of his arm, and her shoulder stabbed uncomfortably into his side.

"That was nice," she purred into his ear, and his body betrayed him slightly. She giggled at the little twitch, and strolled her fingers down his chest. "Up for another go already, I see."

He felt his face flush, "I think I'd better go," he managed to get out as he untangled himself from her arms and rose from the bed.

"So soon?" He turned to see her disappointed expression and felt a well of guilt build up in his chest.

"Yeah, well it's getting late. Ginny will be worried if I don't come home. Might think I got taken away again..." He found his pants and pulled them on with ease, hoping that it didn't look like he was too eager to get out of there. Then he scanned the floor for his shirt, which was nowhere to be seen.

Blakely had risen into a seated position and watched as he searched the room. "Looking for this?" She asked as she picked up his shirt with her foot.

"Thanks," he said as he reached for the shirt.

She pulled it back, "Nah-uh, not yet." She rose and planted a wet kiss on his swollen lips. Then she wrapped his shirt around him and buttoned it up slowly.

"Well, I'll see ya then?" Ron asked as he swept across the room and to the door.

"Sure, if you want," was her pert reply.

He couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Ron sat at the kitchen table, a glass of fire whiskey in hand. He swirled the glass and became hypnotized by the way the amber liquid slid smoothly up and along the sides. The sound of a chair being pulled jerked him from his trance and he looked up.

"Oh, didn't see you there mate," Ron said as he took a long sip of his whiskey.

"Bad night?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged and watched the whiskey swirl around the glass some more.

"Man, I haven't seen you look this down since sixth year when you found out about Her…" Harry's word was cut off and Ron looked up at him curiously.

"Since what?"

"Since er… Lavender and you got in that fight." Harry averted his gaze and Ron had a feeling that Harry had changed what he was going to say. Ron couldn't remember ever being this concerned for Lavender. He couldn't remember much about their relationship at all except for the snogging, that awful necklace that she had given him, and the horrible nickname of Won Won.

"So what happened?" Harry pushed on.

Ron contemplated if he should even tell Harry. It was stupid after all, and a bit embarrassing. In the end, he figured he might as well. Harry was his best friend, and hopefully wouldn't laugh at him. At least not too much.

After a moment, he answered. "I saw that Hermione Granger out tonight." Ron's eyes had been focused on his drink still; otherwise, he might have noticed the sudden paleness of his friend's complexion.

"She was with Malfoy."

"Well he's her husband." Harry added in a slightly higher tone then he had been using before. Ron was still too engrossed in his drink to notice.

"Yeah, it was weird though. There I was out with this perfectly good looking girl," he looked up at Harry pleadingly, "and all I could do was stare at Granger. It was just… I don't know, just weird I guess."

Harry nodded his agreement, but said nothing.

"It bothered me for some reason. Seeing her with that git."

"That's understandable, though. I mean she was a Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin. It's only natural for that to be odd, especially because you haven't been around these last few years."

"It wasn't that though. Well, maybe it was. It's just that it sort of felt more like I was jealous or something, which is ridiculous." Ron shook his head to try ridding himself of the thought. "That's not even the worst part though."

"Why? What's the worst part?" Harry looked concerned now.

"I slept with Blakely."

"And that's bad because…"

"Because the entire time I was thinking of Hermione Granger." Ron stood abruptly from his chair and started pacing the room. "It's insane! I barely have said two words to the girl, and now here I am obsessing over her. I just," he sat back down limply, "don't get it."

"Well maybe you've just noticed how she's grown. It's been a while since school. Maybe that mixed with the whole Gryffindor/Slytherin thing…" he trailed off. "I don't know mate. So are you going to see Blakely again?"

Ron gave an empty laugh. "Yeah, I kind of blew her off after the sex. Probably pissed her off pretty good."

"Do you care?" Harry asked in an overly interested way.

"No." Ron finished off his whiskey and slowly got up from his chair again. He walked carefully towards the door and only had to steady himself once as he climbed the stairs to his room. He hadn't realized how much he had had to drink.

Sleep came easily after the slight spinning of the room calmed down and he felt it was safe enough for him to close his eyes. If he dreamt, he didn't remember it the next day. He woke with the feeling of cotton in his mouth and a headache to rival that of any Harry had in school.


	8. The Truth Revealed

"JAPAN?!" Hermione watched as her friend stomped around the back parlor; red hair swinging behind her. "You can't move to Japan." Ginny stopped in front of Hermione's chair, and in a quieter tone said, "Hermione, can't you just stay here?" Her voice was pleading, and Hermione looked away.

"No, I can't." There was resignation in her tone. Hermione had spent the last few days trying to figure out how to get out of going. She had thought of nothing. Draco promised that she would be able to come home whenever she wanted. He had said that he needed her to be with him. She had to go, and a part of her needed to go.

"Well this is just great, I finally get my brother back but now I am losing my best friend."  
Hermione's heartbeat quickened slightly at the mention of Ron, but she calmed herself down before answering in what she hoped to be a light tone. "You are hardly losing me! I can come home whenever you need me. We can even set up an international floo connection."

"Yeah, for 200 Galleons a month." Ginny plopped into the chair opposite Hermione.

"It is a bit expensive, but Draco said he wouldn't mind paying for it." Hermione sat up straighter. "Look, I know it won't be easy, but I have to go Gin. I just have to." Now her voice was pleading--pleading for her friend to understand that it wasn't just about Draco. She couldn't bear to go through another night like Friday. She couldn't take the chance of seeing him out with that girl, or any other girl. It was just too hard.

"I'm sorry; of course you need to go. It's just that I'll miss you is all." Ginny got up and gave Hermione a warm hug. "I should get back. Ron's been really moody the last few days." Ginny then gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, I don't mean to keep bringing him up."

"It's okay; you are allowed to talk about your brother. I will be all right." Hermione stood as well and tried to reassure her friend that she was, in fact, okay. "I'll walk you out."

"If it's all right, do you mind if I floo home? I haven't been feeling really well lately and apparating seems to make it worse."

"Are you sure you're okay to floo? Can I get anything for you?" Hermione's focus was now solely on Ginny.

"I'm fine, just a stomach bug I caught from one of the girls. It actually doesn't bother me to floo. There's no squeezing sensation, and that's what really upsets me."

"If you're sure," Hermione said disbelievingly, and walked her friend over to the fireplace.

"Really Hermione, I'm fine. I'll see you later this week, okay? I'll help you pack or something." Ginny's smile was reassuring and Hermione agreed.

The second that the green flame flared and then fizzled back to the normal oranges and yellows of a fire, Hermione let the tears fall; she had been crying off and on a lot this past week. After years of reigning in her emotions, her tear ducts seemed to have grown a mind of their own and she just wasn't able to control the salt water from pooling behind her eyes any longer.

*****

"Hermione is moving to Japan," Ginny said in a resigned voice as she removed her cloak and draped it over the settee that was against the wall in their bedroom.

"WHAT?" Harry jerked up and knocked his head against the back of their bed frame, his glasses skewed slightly, and he dropped The Evening Prophet that he had been reading across his lap. "Japan? Why?"

"Apparently Draco has some business venture out there that requires them to be there for a couple of years, at least." At Harry's incredulous gaze she continued, "I don't think that is why she is going though…"

Ginny flew onto the bed and into Harry's outstretched arms. She buried her head into his chest. "Oh, Harry, I wish there was something we could do." She could feel the dampness on his shirt as her tears started to soak through the dark red fabric.

"I know, I know." He rubbed her back in slow circles. "Me too."

Ginny perked her head up after a bit, her face set in an inscrutable expression. "We need to get his memory back!"

"Gin," Harry tried to pull her back towards him but she managed to move from the bed. "It was Hermione's choice."

"Who is Hermione to get to decide? It is Ron's life; he should know all the facts."

"Gin," came Harry's soothing plea again, "you are the one who gave that choice to Hermione."

She huffed and crossed her arms. "Well I am taking it back. Why are you defending this anyway? I know you want this, too."

"I'm not defending it, I just think that you aren't thinking rationally because one of your best friends is about to move." He motioned for her to come and sit back down on the bed and she grudgingly obliged.

"I just think you should tell Hermione before you do anything drastic." He pulled her towards him, and she could smell the fresh scent of his soap on his neck. "She should have some warning. You don't know how Ron will react if you are able to get those memories back."

"Oh, I know how he'll react. Maybe it is just what she needs to get out of that ridiculous marriage."

Harry chuckled and Ginny's head bounced slightly with the movement of his shoulder. "No matter what we think of it Gin, he loves her, and I think it will take a bit more then Ron stomping in their door for Hermione to give up on the vows that she made."

"When did you become so rational?"

Harry chuckled again. "One of us has to be. Look, I agree we should be working on getting his memories back. We just need to tell Hermione first, and even if we try, there is no guarantee that we will be able to do anything. Memory charms are tricky."

However, Ginny wasn't listening anymore; she was fretting about how she was going to break it to Hermione.

*****

He hadn't meant to eavesdrop. Ron was just passing by on his way back from the loo when he heard Harry shout. He couldn't help but be curious, especially at the mention of Hermione. His stomach plummeted when he heard that she was moving to Japan. His brain told him it was ridiculous that he should care, but his heart rate accelerated at the thought of her leaving the country.

For a moment, he couldn't focus on anything else spoken, but then he caught mention of his name. He was now stock still, listening intently. His emotions changed from longing to confusion to rage in an instant. There were memories missing and his sister and Harry knew about it? What did Hermione have to do with this? He couldn't think logically, all he could see was red.

Ron stormed to the guest room where he had been staying and grabbed his wand from the nightstand. He packed up what little clothes that he had and left the house as quickly as he could. He would get answers, and he knew just the brother to give them to him.

It wasn't long before he found himself in front of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. He stared up at the window above the shop and saw that the light was off. Not caring that his brother was probably sleeping, he unlocked the door with the key he received to open the store in the mornings and stormed up the back stairs into the flat that George kept above the store.

Ron pounded incessantly on the door until he saw light come through the crack underneath. The clicking sound of sliding bolts preceded the creak of the door finally opening. George stood there in his boxers, his right hand scratching his head as he yawned and then scowled at Ron.

Ron didn't give him a chance to make a smart comment; he pushed the door all the way open and shoved his way past George. "What memories have I lost?" He asked in a brusque tone.

"Well, obviously the one in which I kicked your arse for waking me up."

"I'll second that." A voice rang from the bedroom. Ron turned to see Angelina framed in the doorway with nothing but a white sheet wrapped around her. He could feel his ears go pink, but his anger at being lied to superseded his embarrassment.

"I mean it George, what memories have you guys been keeping from me?" The intensity of his eyes burned into his brother's, and though George would normally have come up with another smart retort, he seemed to have thought better of it this time.

"Sit down." George gestured toward the couch. "Hey Ange, go put some clothes on will ya?"

Ron's ears went pink again. "I can't seem to keep her in anything these days, loves being naked, that one." George nodded his head in the direction of the bedroom.

"George, tell me." Completely focused, there would be no side tracking him. He needed to know the truth.

"Look little brother, I really don't think that I should be the one to tell you this."

"Tell me! Now!"

"Okay, okay." George held his hands up in submission. "You're not going to like it though."

"Oh, just tell him already!" It was Angelina, now clothed in one of George's old shirts and pair of bright orange sweatpants.

"It's Hermione."

"What's Hermione?" Ron asked, bewildered.  
"What you don't remember." George said pointedly. "You don't remember Hermione."

"What are you talking about? Of course, I remember her. She was in my house, for Godric's sake."

"No, you don't."

"Come on George, spell it out for him. He doesn't remember, remember?" Angelina sighed and moved to sit on the couch on the other side of Ron.

"Look. You, Hermione, and Harry were close in school. You were inseparable. When you and Hermione weren't fighting, anyway. All you remember is her being there, but she wasn't just there, she was with you the entire time. She came to the Quidditch World Cup with us. She was in the Department of Mysteries with you. The three of you went on that 'hunt', or whatever, together."

Ron looked doubtful. "So, why wouldn't anyone tell me that? Why is that such a big secret?"

George shared a brief look with Angelina and then continued. "You weren't just friends. You were together. It was pretty sickening actually, the goo-goo eyes you used to make at each other. You probably would have gotten married already if…" George didn't complete his sentence, but Ron didn't need him to.

Ron stared at a knot in the wooden floor and asked, "Why would anyone want to take those memories from me?" His thoughts were running through all of the possibilities. It made some sense out of his weird attraction to Hermione at the restaurant. He wanted to doubt it, but he could feel deep down that it was right. There were no memories to prove it, at least not for him, but his heart yelled to him that it was so.

*****

It was dark in George's flat, a sliver of a streetlight shone through the window where the curtain didn't quite meet the frame. Ron stared blankly up at the ceiling, thoughts of that night's discussion running through his mind. The couch was comfortable enough. He found it preferable to the idea of sleeping in Fred's old bed.

It was so easy to accept that they had once been a couple; his whole body agreed with the idea. Part of him wondered how he hadn't realized it before. It seemed so obvious now, the way that he'd felt drawn to her, how he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind.

Then flashes of that night played and anger started to seep through. If they had been so much in love, how could she so easily forget him and marry someone else? Not just someone else, though. She chose Malfoy, of all people. She couldn't have loved him that much if she had simply jumped into bed and marriage with the first ferret that asked her.

His heart thudded in his chest as he thought of them now; Malfoy with his slimy arms wrapped around her, Malfoy kissing her, rubbing her, sleeping with her. He let out a low groan and pushed one of the couch pillows into his face, trying to smother not only his breath but also his thoughts.

How could she? His mind said repeatedly. After hours of just laying there, Ron concluded that it didn't matter. It hurt badly enough that he now knew about everything, he couldn't imagine the pain he would be in if he remembered. There was no way he was going to let them give him his memories back. It would be better, easier this way to forget her. After all, he couldn't really remember her in the first place.

Once he had decided on his course of action, he was able to roll over and slowly drift off into an uncomfortable sleep.

**A/N: So he knows now... Did you like the revealing method? What about his anger and his new resolution? How about the George interraction, I always wonder if I am able to catch his personality well as I don't usually write a lot with the twins. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.**  
**Thanks to all for reading this and special thanks to those who have reviewed. And a wonderfully awesome thanks to Georgia Weasley for being my beta**


	9. Conversations

"GEORGE?!"

Ron pulled the blanket over his head and rolled over to face the couch.

"GEORGE?!"

The shout came again, this time more frantic. Ron heard a door open and someone stomp out into the living area.

"Merlin, can't a guy get some sleep in his own flat?"

"George!"

"That's me." He growled out.

"Ron's gone! We need…"

"Hold on a minute, woman. Ron's not gone. He's right here."

Ron pulled his eyes shut tighter, trying to will the voices of his brother and sister to be quiet.

"He's there? What? What's he doing there?"

"I imagine he's trying to sleep, though your banshee voice probably woke him up."

Footfalls headed in Ron's direction.

"Oi, Ron! You awake?" George poked Ron hard in the back.

"NO!" He grumbled into the couch.

"C'mon, wake up. Our lovely sister wants to talk to you."

"Bugger off! I'm sleeping." There was a whoosh, and then more footfalls.

"Ron!" There was a slap on his head. "Wake Up!"

He rolled over to face his sister, and then the memory of why he was there came upon him like lightning. He growled, and she took a step back.

"Ron? Are you okay?"

She approached him slowly, and carefully reached her hand out to touch his shoulder. Ron jerked away from her touch and sat up quickly.

"Don't touch me." Ron watched as Ginny shared a bewildered and scared look with George.

"He knows, Gin." Her bewilderment changed to shock, and then just as quickly, to anger.

"You told him?" She hissed at George.

"Yeah, he told me. Good to know one of my siblings thought it was necessary for me to know."

She looked back at Ron, and he could see tears starting to well in her eyes. His anger dissipated, but only slightly.

"I wanted to tell you…" She reached for him again, and this time he let her pat his arm as she sat down next to him.

"Then you should have." His tone was more sulky than angry now.

"I know." She sighed, and Ron looked at her.

"Well I guess I'll just go and get us some breakfast then, shall I?" George's voice sang out.

"Not so fast!" George stopped mid step and turned around slowly.

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth, but he seemed to know some of it before he got here." Ginny looked back to Ron and George made a hesitant step towards the kitchen.

"How did you know?"

Ron had the decency to look a bit sheepish when he answered. "I sorta heard you and Harry talking last night."

Now it was Ginny's turn to look sheepish.

"You should have told me." Ron said again.

"Look, I'm sorry Ron. Truly I am. I wanted to tell you, but Hermione felt…" her face went pale and Ron could only imagine the look on his own. "…she felt that it would be better. Better for you. That it would be easier for you to not know."

"Well it wasn't."

Ginny was taken aback a bit. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it." He started to get up, but her hand pulled him back towards the couch.

"No, Ron. Why wasn't it easier?"

He blushed. "Because I saw her," he mumbled as he stared at the knot in the floor again.

"You saw Hermione? Where?"

"At the restaurant that night I went out with Blakely."

"And?"

"And it was weird, all right?"

"Weird how?"

"Just weird. It was as if something pulled me towards her. It was like my eyes couldn't stay away once they had found hers. It was…weird."

"That's wonderful!"

He looked up at her, "Wonderful? What are you on about? It's not bloody wonderful! It's awful. She's married Ginny, or have you forgotten that? She is married to Malfoy." He spit the name out as if he had just swallowed a bug.

"So? You fight for her. We get your memories back and you fight for Hermione!" Ginny stood, as if she was about to take Ron to storm the Malfoy Estate right then.

"No." Ginny looked bewildered once more.

"But you said…"

"I said NO! I do not want my memories back! I do not want to fight for Hermione! I don't want to be near her!"

"I don't understand." She sat back down.

"She chose _Malfoy_, Ginny. She didn't just go off and marry some bloke, she went off and married _Malfoy_. She didn't wait for me to come back. She didn't want me to remember. She doesn't want me, and I…I don't want her!" His voice was weak, and it came out more as a croak than a declaration.

"Oh, Ron…" Ginny pet Ron's back "…she does want…"

"I SAID NO!" He yelled, and shot up faster than a snitch. Ron stormed into the kitchen, leaving his sister on the couch, vowing that Hermione would never enter his thoughts again.

*****

"The stubborn git!" Ginny stormed into the kitchen as Harry was putting a piece of toast to his mouth.

He looked up in confusion. "Who?"

"Ron! Who else?" She plopped down into one of the chairs and swiped a piece of toast off Harry's plate.

"He said he doesn't want his memories back." Her anger was working hard to mask the feeling of hopelessness that had begun to creep its way into her mind.

"Oh."

"Oh? All you have to say is 'oh'?" She threw the piece of uneaten toast down.

"Well honestly Gin, what did you expect? Hermione is married to someone else. Of course he doesn't want to remember something that will bring him obvious pain." Harry took up her dropped piece of toast and gave it back to her. "Especially since it is already driving him mad as it is."

"It is?"

"Look, I probably shouldn't say anything, but yeah, it is. He saw her out with Malfoy when he went on his date with Blakely."

"I know that. It was weird, but so what?"

" Let's just say that he didn't like seeing them together."

"Hm…" Ginny slunk back in her chair and her eyes glazed over slightly.

"Gin-_ney_," Harry admonished, "I know that look."

She looked at him innocently, but her eyes twinkled in a twin-like fashion.

"Your brother's already mad at you, just leave it be. Don't keep messing around in his life, or Hermione's."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She said as she took a triumphant bite of toast.

*****

"Is mistress needing anything?" The house elf bowed low, her nose practically touching the marble floor.

"No, thank you Twinkles. Might I add that it is nice to have you back, though I am sorry to hear about your sister's passing."

The house elf's eyes started to grow glassy, but she seemed to manage to pull herself together and answered, "Thank you miss. I is very sad, but it is better for Boof. She is being in a better place now."

"And how did you find the Nott's?" They weren't Hermione's favorite couple but Theo had been pleasant and his wife Sandra, though reserved, was of a nice enough nature.

"They is doing well, miss. Boof is being the Master Nott Senior's elf and was not being needed much since he is gone to Azkaban."

Nott Senior, who had escaped the initial capture after the battle, was apprehended merely two weeks after Ron had been taken. Apparently, Nott thought it was safe enough for him to torment a local muggle shop in Gloucester. He was caught before he had even been able to apparate from the local store. From what Draco said, Theo had been rather happy to hear of his father's capture.

"Oh, I didn't realize that Boof worked for Nott Senior."

"Oh, yes miss. Since she is being a little elf." Twinkles scrunched her face as if something suddenly smelled funny. "He was not a very nice master to Boof." Then the elf looked warily around as if expecting to be scolded by some unknown force for her confession. Hermione just patted the elf on the head and repeated her glad sentiments about Twinkles return home. Then she sorted through that morning's post. Several owls had come in, and she had yet to get a chance to look at everything.

After reading a bill from the robe shop where Draco bought his custom made dress robes and discarding a flyer about the opening of a new apothecary, Hermione's eyes alighted on an engraved, ivory envelope. It looked like an invitation, but she was unaware of any event coming up. Her finger slid under the seal and broke it evenly to reveal an embossed invitation with gold lettering.

_You are cordially invited to the going away party of  
Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy  
hosted by Miss Ginevra Weasley and Mr. Harry Potter  
on the 26th of July 2003 at 7:00 p.m.  
located at 72 Diagon Alley  
Formal Attire_

Hermione just stared at the invitation, mouth agape. She had no idea that Ginny had intended on throwing them a going away party. Was this something that she had discussed with Draco behind her back? It was an unlikely thought. It was more probable that Ginny knew Hermione wouldn't dare to back out now that invitations had already been sent to Merlin knew how many other people.

A pit formed in her stomach as she also realized that this would inevitably mean that Ron would probably be there as well. It would be wishful thinking to hope that Ginny had not invited her own brother. A part of her wanted to see him there more than she would ever dare to express, but Hermione pushed that bit down and focused instead on steeling herself to get through the affair.  
Now it was just a question of breaking the news to Draco. He was going to be furious.

**A/N: So how was the dialogue? I am not as happy with Harry and Ginny's conversation. Let me know what you think, good or bad.**  
**Thanks to Georgia Weasley for beta-ing this story**


	10. Hesitant Attendees

"You'll just have to tell her that we can't make it."

"Draco, you know we can't do that. She's already sent out the invitations." Hermione watched as Draco stabbed at his food.

"Well serves her right, the interfering little…"

"Dray-co!" Hermione scolded. "She's my best friend and she wants to throw us a going away party, the least you can do is be gracious about it."

"I don't see why. It's not as if she's my best friend, more of an annoying acquaintance really."

She shot him a warning glare. Of course she knew that he wouldn't want to go, Ginny's presence always seemed to make him uncomfortable. All the Weasleys' did, in fact. He hated their familiarity with her; the way that they treated her as if she was one of the family.

"We're going, so you are either going to be on your best behavior or there might not be a reason for a going away party at all."

At that threat, he paled slightly and almost choked on the piece of chicken that he had forked into his mouth. He took a large swig from his wine glass to calm down the coughing fit that was on the edge of erupting.

"Fine, I'll go and be a good boy, just tell me who all is supposed to arrive at this little shindig?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I haven't spoken to Ginny about it. Probably all the usual people." At his scowl, she decided to give him a tiny break. "I could see about getting some of your friends on the guest list as well, maybe even your parents would like to come."

"Yeah, I'm sure they would be delighted." His tone dripped with sarcasm, and Hermione almost wished she hadn't brought them up at all.

"Look, just give me a list of whomever you would like to see there and I will make sure that Ginny invites them, okay?"

"Okay, okay. I'll get you a list." His voice suddenly changed from petulance to silk as he said, "But you know the only person I really want to spend the evening with is you." He winked slyly at her.

She tried to suppress the grin that was trying to break its way through, not wanting to give him any leverage, but it was a losing battle. She knew that he only said it as a sly attempt to win her favor back. She also knew that he meant every word of it. See, you and Draco will be fine, she told herself. She was just glad that he was still able to make her smile.

****

"She's barking!" Ron was pacing around the back room of the twins' shop, a crumpled card in his hand.

"Take it out on something your own size." Angelina said, as she grabbed the creased paper. "You are ruining a perfectly beautiful invitation." She smoothed it out along the counter and perused the invite with a smirk on her face.

"What's this?" George asked as he stepped into the back of the store and snatched the invitation out of Angelina's hands. His magenta robes, frighteningly bright, gave his neck and chin a pink glow.

"Nothing." Ron took it out of his brother's hands and folded it into his own shockingly bright robes.

"Ginny's throwing Hermione a going away party. We probably have an invitation waiting for us upstairs," Angelina replied as Ron scowled at her.

"A party? Excellent idea."

"Well, I am not going!" He crossed his arms in a defiant stance.

"Of course you are little brother." George went over and put his arm around Ron's shoulders. "You're probably the whole reason Ginny is throwing this little soiree."  
Ron's face grew red and George chuckled at him before swaggering out of the backroom and into the main of the shop.

Angelina rubbed her hand down his arm in compassion. "It'll be all right." Then she followed George out.

Rage was forefront in his mind. He knew his sister had gone to all this to trouble in order to put him in the same room as Hermione, knowing that he would never do so voluntarily. There was little doubt that he would eventually cave and go to the party, but only because if he didn't it would inevitably be worse for him later. There was no telling what Ginny would do to get her way, and in the end it would be easier to go to this then suffer any surprises in the future.

He would definitely not be going to this alone, however. A date would be necessary, and because there was really only one girl that he had seen since he had come back, Blakely was the obvious choice. It would just take a little courage on his part in order to ask her.

****

He kicked a rock around with the toe of his shoe as he waited by the changing room door. Ron was still unsure what exactly he was going to say, but he knew that he had to do it soon if there was any chance that he would succeed in getting a date.

He had already put it off long enough. The door swung open and his head bolted up, only to see one of the beaters and the seeker coming out. The seeker giggled slightly at the sight of him and he could feel the usual flush in his ears and neck. His presence didn't seem to bother the beater. She just moved past him towards the apparition point. Her lack of interest bolstered him up, and he was able to push the feeling of embarrassment back down.

A few minutes after the first two girls had come out, the door opened again and Ginny exited followed closely by Blakely and either the chaser or the other beater (Ron couldn't really tell, as they were twins).

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked. "Come to visit with your wonderful sister?" There was a doubtful look in her eyes that she tried to mask with a smirk.

Ron didn't even look at her and continued forward towards the leggy blonde. "Hey," he greeted her as he mustered enough courage to meet her eyes with his.

"Hi," she beamed at him.

"Ron!" Ginny huffed from behind them.

He continued to ignore her and focused on a spot right above Blakely's eyes where her fringe met her eyebrows.

"So what brings you here?" Blakely asked as Ron pulled in to walk beside her.

"Ron!" Ginny stomped over to the two of them as the beater (or was it the chaser?) moved forward past all three in order to get out of the way of Ginny's indignation.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me again," he said with more confidence then he felt.

Ginny scowled at him.

"Yeah sure, why not?" She shrugged.

He heard a slight 'Hmph' coming from behind him on his right where Ginny was trailing as they walked towards the apparition point.

"Er, Saturday then?" There was an intake of breath and he no longer could hear Ginny's footsteps behind him.

"Saturday's good."

"I have this party I have to go to for a minute, but we can go out after for a drink or something."

"That sounds fine. Do I need to dress up or anything?"

Ron looked back at his sister who was standing still behind them with a shocked expression on her face. Bright red was creeping its way up her neck and Ron knew he needed to get this over with soon before she completely exploded on him, or worse, Blakely.

"It's a bit fancy, but you can wear whatever. I really don't plan to stay for very long. Pick you up at 6:30?"

"Okay." With that, she kissed him on the cheek and quickly apparated away.

Ron did not waste any time in getting out of Ginny's line of fire and apparated as he heard her shout the beginnings of her famous bat bogey hex.

*****

"I cannot believe he invited that swot to Hermione's going away party!" Ginny was storming around the kitchen slamming cupboards in her wake.

"I thought you liked Bl…" His voice trailed off at the icy glare that Ginny shot his way.

"She is a man eating slag and she needs to keep her slimy hands off of my brother." Of course, Ginny knew that she was being unreasonable. She did like Blakely, a lot actually, but someone had to be indignant about his betrayal of Hermione. She also realized that that was an unfair assessment, but Blakely in the equation would make it that much harder for Ginny to finally get Ron and Hermione together.

Harry did not argue and just stood there, continuing to dice the onion for their dinner. Ginny finally ran out of steam and slumped into one of the kitchen chairs. "I know I am being unreasonable."

He stood there and raised an eyebrow, but did not speak.

Ginny laughed, "It's okay, I promise I won't bite."

"Maybe I want you to bite." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Ginny jumped up suddenly and attacked Harry's lips, mashing herself as closely to his body as she could. She heard the knife he had been holding to chop the onions clatter to the floor, just barely missing his own foot.

She loved kissing Harry. When they first got back together, she remembered telling Hermione about how wonderful it felt to have their lips finally join again. Suddenly, her chest was heaving and tears poured from her eyes. Her entire body wracked with sobs as she remembered the distraught look on Hermione's face at Ginny's revelation.

"What's wrong?" Harry pulled back, but was still holding her tightly around the waist.  
"No-Nothing." She sobbed out.

He pulled her in tight and rubbed circles on her lower back. "Ginny, whatever it is, you can tell me."

Her body jerked and the sobbing came to an abrupt halt. "Really Harry, it's nothing." She wiped her tear stained face with the back of her hand. "I was just thinking about how great it is to kiss you."

"And that made you cry?"

"Ye-Yes." The crying started up again, and Harry pulled her close once more. "It's just that Hermione and Ron will never…" her voice trailed off into more sniffles.

They stood there for a few moments more before Ginny collected herself for good and went back to rummaging around the cupboards, bringing out a small cutting board.

**A/N: I know it's a bit shorter then the previous chapters. I am sorry about that, but the next chapter is going to be nice and action packed (well drama packed anyway). Let me know what you think of this one. Were both Ron and Draco's reactions to the invites believeable? **  
**Super big thanks to Georgia Weasley who beta'd this chapter and special thanks for all of you who review! It is appreciated and I respond to them all.**


	11. The Party

She saw him fidgeting in the reflection of the mirror. He was tying the tie on his new black dress robes, but having difficulty. She watched his fingers shake slightly as they manipulated the imported satin material.

She finished applying the last of her makeup, making sure that the bags under her eyes were less apparent. The dark green color of her fitted dress robes complimented her creamy skin. She turned to face her husband.

"Here, let me do that." She stepped over to him and deftly tied a precise knot around his neck. He gave her a wan smile that did not hide the apprehension in his eyes.  
"It'll be okay."

Draco's eyes hardened and the mask of his younger years slid into place. "Yes, well…" He looked her up and down, and his face softened. "You look beautiful. I might be forced to keep my wand handy in order to keep all the blokes from trying to snatch you up." His eyes wavered slightly and then he grabbed her into a tight embrace, kissing her mouth gently.

She returned his affectionate kiss and they stood there in their bedroom for a few minutes more, wrapped into each other. His insecurities came through in that sweet kiss, and though it did not completely distract her from her more recent thoughts, it did remind her of why she loved him.

They broke apart and he nuzzled his face into her neck. "We'd better get going," she whispered.

"Mm-Hm." Her skin muffled his voice, and his breath tickled her neck. She giggled and pulled back from their embrace.

"Come on." Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him out of their bedroom and down the stairs. She only allowed a brief moment for them to pull on their cloaks and then they were out the door and apparating to a spot outside of The Leaky Cauldron.  
Diagon Alley was crowded with witches and wizards, all rushing home after an afternoon of shopping or into one of the many pubs and restaurants located on the street.

Jacks and The Bean Stalk was the name of the venue that Ginny and Harry had rented out for their party. The Bean Stalk was a hip little restaurant that dealt in fusion cuisine, while Jacks was the nightclub attached to the restaurant through a small hallway with purple-flamed lamps lining the walls.

They were to meet in The Bean Stalk and then head over to Jacks after dinner. Hermione led while Draco held the door, placing his hand on the small of her back as they entered the restaurant. Hermione made sure that they would be on time, but it felt as if they had come in late.

All of their friends were already there mingling and munching on the buffet of appetizers that had been set up along the far wall of the restaurant. A glimpse of Luna's blonde head appeared behind that of Neville who was talking animatedly to… _Was that Pansy?_

Blaise stood idly watching the interactions of the former Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws with detached interest. It was amazing that they all seemed to be able to be in the same room with one another. Or rather, that the Slytherins could be in the same room as all of them.

Ginny tried to refuse to invite Draco's friends, but Hermione put her foot down and said that if they weren't invited then she would not show, either. While she didn't particularly love any of Draco's friends, none of them were too awful except for Pansy, who apparently came as Blaise's date. Not that anyone could tell.

"Oh good, you're here." Ginny's voice came from the right of where Hermione stood. She wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulder in a quick embrace. "Draco." She nodded in his direction upon pulling away from her friend.

"Ginny." He smirked and pulled Hermione into his side.

"Thank you so much, Gin, for putting this together for us. It was really sweet of you." Hermione gave Draco a pointed look.

"Yes, Ginny. Thank you." He forced out.

Hermione turned to take in more of the guests, and then stiffened slightly upon the sight of a rather tall looking red head. She made herself relax, not wanting to clue Draco in to anything wrong. She hoped that he wouldn't be there at all, and was totally unprepared for the onslaught of seeing him standing next to the same pretty witch that he had been to dinner with before.

_It was perfectly natural that he would be dating. It should not bother her in the least_. At least that is what she kept telling herself. She was soon able to distract herself when Sandra and Theo came towards them. Theo's tight curly hair was cut close to his head, and his thin wiry arm stuck out to grasp Draco's hand. The two men shook hands while Sandra, with her dark hair pulled tight up into a high bun, gave Hermione a small smile.

Blaise came forward to join their little party and Ginny, seeing that she was now outnumbered by ex-Slytherins, decided to make her escape to a more inviting group.

"So you brought Pansy, I see?" Theo stated. It was not really a question, and there was certainly no accusation in his tone, but Blaise evidently felt the need to vindicate himself.

"Yes, well I couldn't listen to one more second of her whining about coming here. She just had to see Draco off. She even went as far as trying to get Mother on her side." He glanced back at his date, who was still standing by Neville. "It was easier to bring her than not. It seems like she made a friend anyway. " He shrugged and took a sip from his martini glass.

Draco snorted, but one stern look from Hermione put the subject to rest.

"The party is lovely. It really is a shame that you will have to be so far away." Sandra's quiet voice broke in. She was not an overly friendly person, but she had tact and Hermione respected her tiny efforts at steering the conversation towards a more appropriate topic.

The men all agreed and then began to discuss business. Hermione tuned them out, trying to focus her attention towards Sandra, but they really didn't have much to say to one another. They made small talk about the weather, the impending move, the lovely earrings that Hermione wore, and where Sandra bought her gorgeous black satin dress robes. Once they had used up all their niceties, Hermione felt it safe to go about, greet, and mingle with the rest of the guests. She left Draco talking with his friends and brought Sandra around for some introductions before leaving her with Lavender Brown, where they discussed the wonderful fabrics of the East.

She was talking to Angelina near the buffet when Ron's date came up beside them.  
"You must be the Guest of Honor," Blakely said as she put out her hand. "I'm Blakely." Hermione mindlessly shook the proffered limb.

"Hermione," she said back evenly. "Nice to meet you." Hermione looked at Angelina, who had an undisguised smirk on her face.

"These scallops are to die for!" Blakely went on as she popped one of the small appetizers into her mouth and gathered a couple more onto a small plate. "Well, good to meet you." She swung her head around and headed back towards the red beacon of hair in the far corner of the room. Hermione's eyes followed her until the blond reached her destination, and watched as she popped one of the scallops into Ron's mouth. He looked up from chewing and their eyes met briefly. Hermione instantly turned her head away and again faced Angelina.

"She seems nice." Hermione managed to get out.

Angelina just laughed. "Yeah, that's exactly what you're thinking. What a crock of…"

"Naughty, naughty, love." George came up from behind them, wrapped a freckly arm around Angelina's waist, and kissed her exposed neck. "Save the dirty talk for later."

Hermione blushed, but neither one of the couple seemed to be embarrassed. "Well I'd better…" She walked away without finishing what she knew would have been a lame excuse. The party moved on rather quickly, and Hermione had managed to greet all the guests and enjoy small spurts of conversation with everyone-well, almost everyone. She had pointedly avoided any further contact – be it eye or otherwise. Slowly people started to meander their way over to Jacks.

There were fairy lights scattered about the room in low tones of blues and purples. An entire row of them lit the bar from underneath. It made it look like the counter was floating, which it very well could have been for all Hermione could tell.

There were a smattering of couples on the dance floor, and Hermione thought that it might be nice to dance with Draco later on. She hadn't seen him since she left him standing with Theo and Blaise, but knew that he would eventually pop up. He was a great dancer and it was one of the things that she really enjoyed doing with him.

"May I have this dance?" She heard a familiar voice from behind her. She chuckled as Harry's bespectacled face popped in front of hers.

"Since when do you dance?" She asked.

"Since one of my best mates decided to move across the world." He bowed low and then took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. The song was fast and she enjoyed watching Harry try to move to the music, though her toes were a bit bruised by the end of the number.

A slow tune came on after and he pulled her into a loose waltz. Two steps into the dance a small tap on her shoulder alerted her to someone trying to cut in.

"Mind if I steal him away from you?" Hermione heard Ginny ask, though she didn't turn to look at her friend. "I'm sure your feet will thank me."

Both girls giggled at that, and then Hermione released her hold of her best friend and was taken up by Ginny's original partner. It took a second for Hermione to realize just who that partner was. Ginny had initially distracted her, and then Hermione was looking down at her battered feet. There was no mistaking, though, the feel of his hand in hers.

They were rougher than she remembered, probably from the years of being away, but the tingle that shot up her body upon connection could never come from anyone else. Ron was now holding her around the waist with one arm while clasping her hand in his. Due to his height, she settled for her hand on his upper arm and they moved together slowly in time to the music.

She didn't know what to say to him so she said nothing at all, staring into his chest willing herself not to cry.

"So... Japan?" His deep voice broke through her silence.

She nodded but was unable to speak for fear of crying out.

"A bit far away." His tone wasn't playful, and it didn't even sound inquisitive. It was stonier and more matter of fact then anything.

"Yes," She managed to choke, out.

"So you married Malfoy?" Again., more of a statement then a question. "Wonder how you managed to bear that git for more than a second."

"He is not a git." Her irritation at his remark willed her to find her voice.

"Yeah, right."

"You don't even know him." She said indignantly.

"Yes I do. He's Malfoy, the Death Eater wanna be. The amazing bouncing Ferret. I wouldn't be surprised if he had something to do with my…"

"Don't you dare!" Hermione broke in. They stopped dancing and both pulled their arms abruptly to their own sides.

"And why not? It makes sense that I was taken by a former Death Eater."

"I _know_ he woudn't have done it." She stomped her foot. "I know he didn't do it. I was his MCO. We watched him night and day. We knew everything about where he was and who he was with. There is no way…"

"He," Ron spat, "is the only one who makes sense."

"And why is that?" She spat back.

"Because he is the only one who had something to gain." Ron's matter of fact tone came back.

She huffed, "What exactly did he have to gain by kidnapping _you_?" She was incredulous now.

There was a pause and Ron turned his face away. His voice was quiet, but Hermione was able to hear it perfectly. "He got you." Her heart pounded in her chest.

"Wha…?" She didn't know what to say, but Draco saved her from saying anything.

"I think I'll be taking my wife back now." He grabbed her around the middle and swept her into the waltz that had been playing. They moved around the dance floor, Hermione too shaken up by Ron's words to speak. Her feet moved mechanically and her mind whirled and spun in accordance with the music.

At the end of the song, Draco leaned in and planted a rough kiss on her lips. He was staking his claim and Hermione stood there, not sure if she should push him away or pull him close. Both options had their own appeal. She heard a loud crack, and then Draco broke their kiss. Hermione turned to see Ginny and Harry's eyes on her, but Ron had vanished.

**A/N: So tell me... how was it? First Ron/Hermione interaction. Satisfying? Frustrating? ******

**Thanks of course goes to Georgia Weasley for rocking this chapter. Also to all of you lovely readers and reviewers you make my day!**


	12. Big News

She had planned it all out so carefully. Ginny was sure that Ron only needed a little push in the right direction. Ginny saw Draco in an animated discussion with Theo back in The Bean Stalk, so _he_ wasn't going to be a problem. She noticed Blaise's eyes on Blakely a couple of times that evening, and with a little effort distracted her team mate with a small introduction.

Harry was more than willing to ask Hermione to dance, and she didn't even have to tell him why she wanted him to do it. Now, it was down to getting Ron on the dance floor, and that would be the tricky part. He was still mad at her, not to mention that he notoriously hated dancing. She resorted to being a bit underhanded and confunded him. It wasn't a strong spell, just enough for her to convince him to get onto the dance floor and over to Hermione.

The switch off went easier than she had expected, with Hermione too stunned to speak and Ron just coming to his senses. Good thing he was bright enough not to leave her there on the spot.

"You are a devil." Harry whispered in her ears as they danced off to the side of the room. Ginny took the lead, which helped her to avoid her feet being trod on too badly.

"I don't know what you mean." She buried her head into his chest to hide the grin that begged to break across her face. She was just so proud of all her handy work.

"Don't try and fool me. You are a vixen, and for your sake I hope this doesn't completely backfire on you." He brushed a light kiss on her forehead so that she knew he was mostly teasing. Then they stood back and watched as Hermione and Ron danced, and then stopped and just stood there in the middle of the dance floor.

Ginny saw Hermione's face go from anger, to defiance, to confusion, and then just as quickly Draco came in and swept her up as if she were a sack of potatoes and made off with his wife around the dance floor leaving Ginny's poor brother standing there gaping. Hermione didn't even have the decency to stop her husband from ruining the moment. Ginny knew her thinking was a bit irrational, but she had worked so hard for this night.

She watched as Ron stood still for a moment. Then, when the music ended and Draco took Hermione in for that kiss, she saw a blur as he grabbed Blakely around the waist and apparated out of there faster then she could say snitch. She stared back at Hermione to see what her reaction was to the resounding crack that had broken the atmosphere.

The hurt and confusion were evident on her face, and Ginny watched as her friend focused on trying to hold back tears that were pressing their way out. Just as Ginny had made a step towards her, she felt a little light headed. Another step and the room started to spin a bit. The next thing that she knew, she was on the floor of Jacks with Hermione, Draco, Harry and George all standing over her.

"You okay love?" Harry asked tenderly, while the creases of panic that had settled around his eyes ebbed away.

Ginny put her hand to her head and slowly pulled herself up. "Yeah, I think so. What happened?"

"You fainted." Hermione's voice answered, and her small hands helped to support her arm as she pulled Ginny up a bit further. "I think maybe you should go see a healer."

"No, I'm fine. I didn't really eat a whole lot today while I was trying to set this up, just need a bit of food in the old belly and I will be great in no time." She gave her spectators a wan smile.

"I don't think so. You should go to St Mungo's. I'll go get the fire place ready." It was, surprisingly, Draco who said this. He was so in control, and though she wouldn't confuse his nicety for honest concern, she did feel a small pang of guilt for blatantly trying to get his wife to leave him. Therefore, she didn't argue when the mediwitch came with a stretcher and brought her through the floo and into the hospital.

They started with the basics. What's your name? What's your health history? Blah, blah, blah. Then they went on to the tests. They drew blood, took saliva samples, and wand scans. She lay in the hospital, completely annoyed because her plan to get her brother and the love of his life back together had not worked, and now she was here being poked and prodded for what was probably going to be something like gas.

An hour later she was still sitting in the small room with Harry by her side. Hermione and Draco had gone to get some coffee, and George and Angelina had gone off to tell the rest of her family. The rather bulky looking healer that had poked at her earlier came back into the room. Her graying blond hair was cut short and it was hard for Ginny to tell that Healer Warren was in fact a she. The only thing that gave it was away was the nametag on her robes that said "Mistress Warren, Head Healer".

"Ms. Weasley, we have received your test results." Healer Warren said in a rough voice. "Congratulations are in order."

"Great!" Ginny said and tried to hop out of the bed.

"No, I think you misunderstood me." Healer Warren pressed.

"I'm fine right? Clean bill of health and can now leave this stinking hospital?" Harry chuckled and Ginny gave him an icy stare.

"You are fine, Ms. Weasley, and you may leave. What I meant was, congratulations, you are pregnant."

Ginny's jaw dropped._ Pregnant? She couldn't possibly be pregnant._ They had taken precautions! They had been careful and safe, and there was no freaking way that she was having a baby! She felt a warm hand rub her shoulder and she leaned into a warm hug from Harry.

"I'll just leave you two alone." Healer Warren said as she backed out of the room.  
"Pregnant?" Ginny said out loud.

"Yeah." Harry breathed out. At least she wasn't alone in her shock.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, more to herself then to Harry.

"What do you mean? We're going to have a baby, that's what we're going to do. And we're going to get married…"

Ginny jerked out of his grasp in surprise. "Is that your idea of a proposal?" She couldn't decide between anger and joy. She had been waiting for him to ask her. She'd been hoping, especially now that Ron was back, that it might happen any day, but she had not wanted him to ask her out of obligation.

"No, I had something much better planned." He pulled a ring box from his pocket and placed it into her trembling fingers. "I was going to wait until we made the toast to Hermione and Draco, and then," he ran his fingers through his messy black hair, "I was going to make a toast of my own for you." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, Harry!" Ginny flung her arms around him and placed a hard kiss on his soft lips.  
"Is that a yes?"

"Of course it's a yes! Silly Harry." She swatted at his arm with the hand not holding the unopened box.

"You haven't even looked at the ring." He commented.

Ginny blushed and slowly opened the box. It held a simple platinum band with a lone diamond on the top. It wasn't anything fancy. Ginny didn't want fancy. It was just a sweet, small engagement ring, exactly what she would have picked out herself.

"I love it!" She whispered into his ear, and then she went in for a tender, slow kiss to top of this wonderfully confusing night-- though it didn't stay slow for very long

*****

"Ahem." Hermione hadn't wanted to interrupt this sweet moment but it seemed to be getting a little out of hand, so she made her presence known. Draco was right behind her, and though she couldn't actually see him, she could tell that he was flashing his trademark smirk.

Ginny and Harry pulled away from each other in a flash, cheeks a nice shade of pink, though whether it was from embarrassment or passion Hermione did not want to know.

"Hey, Hermione." Ginny responded after the initial shock of being interrupted in an almost compromising position.

"Here." Hermione handed over the cup of tea that she had brought for Harry from the fifth floor tea room. "So, how's the patient?"

"I'm fine. Nothing wrong with me at all." Ginny's smile was impish, a dead give-away that something was up.

"Spill it." Hermione insisted.

"Really, it is nothing. I am in perfect health. In fact, I'm better than perfect. Harry and I are getting married." She flashed the ring in Hermione's face and both girls squealed in a very un-ladylike manner.

Hermione ignored the snide comments coming from both Draco and Harry about the pitch of their excitement and continued to gush over her now engaged best friend.

"_I _am getting married too, you know." Harry butt in.

"Oh, I'm sorry Harry." Hermione wrapped her arms around her other best friend and hugged him with all the strength that her little body had. "Congratulations! I really am so happy for you two."

"I can tell." Harry said as he pried her arms off and rubbed the back of his neck.  
Draco chuckled from behind Hermione, and she turned around hoping that it would prompt him to say something congratulatory as well.

"Oh yes, congratulations." Draco went over and shook Harry's hand briefly, and then patted Ginny lightly on the shoulder. "I'm sure you two will be very happy together." His voice didn't even hold the usual distaste that was normally so evident when speaking to either Ginny or Harry.

Just then the door to the room swung open and they all turned to see George striding into the room with Angelina in tow.

"Any news?" He asked, his worry evident in the wrinkles on his brow.

"Great news, actually!" Ginny beamed.

"So you're all right then?" Angelina asked as she rubbed George's back in comfort. His brow slowly smoothed out.

"Of course." Ginny waved her left hand about in a flourish.

Angelina's eyes widened. "Well it's about time!"

"What is?" George turned around creases slowly reforming on his forehead.

"They're engaged." She strode over to Ginny's side of the bed and pulled Ginny's left hand up so that George couldn't avoid noticing the small rock placed on her ring finger.

"Well, I'll be." He moved over to Harry and pounded him roughly on the back. "That's brilliant!" Then in a small aside that Hermione could barely hear, "If you hurt her, you're dead." There was no true malice in his voice, but the over protectiveness of all of the Weasley boys for Ginny tended to rear its ugly head every once in a while, even after Ginny and Harry had started living together.

"What's brilliant?" A familiar voice boomed from the doorway.

Hermione didn't turn around, and instead decided to focus her attention on Ginny and the beautiful ring.

"These two are finally tying the knot." George said in response.

"That is brilliant. Why didn't you think of it before?" The last bit, though said in a joking tone, held a hint of an accusation in it.

Hermione notice Harry's blush out of the corner of her eye, but she stayed focused on Ginny who looked as if she were about to explode in anger.

"Don't you dare start, Ron." Ginny's voice was even, but there was ice behind it that no one, knowing Ginny, would ever contradict.

"It was a joke." She could hear a shirt rustle, and even though she still hadn't turned around, she knew that he had shrugged. Draco's hand went protectively around her waist and he pulled her body into his. They had gone unnoticed by Ron until then, but at Draco's movement the air in the room grew charged and the tension thick.

"Very funny." Ginny continued, obviously trying to divert Ron's attention.

"Maybe we'd better go." Hermione whispered softly to Ginny.

"Don't you dare." Ginny hissed back, and then in a louder voice continued, "I have some other news too."

Everyone in the room focused again on the girl in the bed.

"We're having a baby." No one said anything. George's mouth hung open, and if Hermione had dared to look she would have seen the same expression on Ron's face as well.

Draco's arms loosened around Hermione and he stretched one arm out.  
"Congratulations." It was Hermione's turn to stand there, mouth agape; Draco had never once taken any kind of initiative where her friends were involved.

Harry and Draco shook hands and Hermione, realizing that her mouth was still hanging open slightly, closed it. "Yes, we are so happy for you." She went to wrap herself around Ginny, who also seemed to be shocked by Draco's sudden friendliness.

Everyone else woke out of their daze at Hermione's words and the congratulations began again. Ginny was bombarded with a barrage of questions. _How many weeks?_ About nine. _Would they prefer a girl or boy?_ As long as it's healthy it didn't matter, though a girl would be nice (the last bit came from Harry). _Had they thought of any names?_ Not anything yet, though Lily was nice (Harry beamed at this remark from Ginny). It went on like that for a while, the girls gathered around Ginny's bed talking about babies while the guys stood around looking awkward.

Hermione had just been telling Ginny a story about an old co-worker of hers that had had a baby when she got the odd feeling of being watched. She turned her head to see that Ron was openly staring at her, but as their eyes connected he snapped his gaze away and focused his gaze out of the lone small window in the back wall of the room. She turned around slowly and caught Draco's eyes in the process; there were traces of worry in his gaze and Hermione immediately felt guilty.

After Ginny's fainting spell she hadn't had much time to give Ron's last words to her any thought, and then there was all the news that Harry and Ginny had poured down upon them. Hermione welcomed the distractions, and she was glad that she didn't have any time to dwell on the previous events of the evening. Now, however, there was nothing stopping her mind from its whirlpool of frustrated thoughts.

She moved away from Ginny and closer to Draco. He had migrated away from her at the onslaught of baby talk, but now she felt she needed to reassure him that she was still his. And she was his, wasn't she? So what if she had never really let Ron go. She did love Draco, and she was married to him.

He smiled down at her when she clasped his hand in hers. The worry, though lessened, still shone evidently in his eyes.

"So, when're you two gonna pop one out?" George asked.

The tension that had seemed to evaporate at the announcement of an addition to the family immediately sucked back into the room. All eyes, including a pair of bright baby blues, glued themselves to Hermione and Draco.

Hermione looked up at her husband, not really sure of what to say. They had of course talked about having kids, she wanted four, he wanted one, but that was someday talk. They had not planned on having them anytime soon, or at least she most certainly had not.

"One day." Draco came to the rescue. Her shoulders relaxed. 'One day' sounded like a good answer. One day meant not yet, right? Everyone else turned their focus around, but Hermione could still feel a familiar sense that not _all _eyes had looked away.

Draco removed his hand from hers and brushed it down until it rested against her lower back.

"Take me home." Hermione whispered to Draco. He nodded in response.

They said their good-byes while Draco took the blame for their early exit. He wrapped his arms tightly around her when they exited the hospital and apparated them safely home.

**A/N: So how did you like? Was it a bit of a shock? Had anyone guessed about Ginny's condition? I think it kind of helps to explain her slight irrational fixation and emotional mood swings (at least that was the plan anyway). All thoughts welcomed.****  
****Thanks to everyone for reading and special thanks to those who have been reviewing, your input makes my day!**


	13. Lonely Night

"Oh, dear." His mum came rushing into the hospital room moments after Hermione and Draco had left. "What happened? Are you okay?" She bounded towards her youngest child and only daughter, fear etched in her features.

"M'kay mum," was all that Ron could make out now that Ginny was pushed tightly to his mum's chest. He lost all focus after that, and sat back in the lone chair situated in the corner of the room. His mind wandered over the events of the evening.

He never had any intention of talking to Hermione, let alone dancing with her. Ginny was surely the craftiest witch he had ever known. Also, he felt embarrassed that he had all but confessed to Hermione that he knew about their past. He wished he could erase that from his memory. Finally, he dwelt on how he had completely ditched Blakely back at George's flat once he heard that Ginny was ill.

_Crap! Blakely_. He needed to get back there. She was no Hermione, but he'd just have to get over that. Hermione's overt display tonight proved that she obviously held no residual feelings for him. Even though he had tried not to listen when Ginny said it, in the back of his mind he'd hoped that she had been right when she said that Hermione still loved him.

It was stupid! Why would she love him? Hell, he couldn't even remember why he loved her! All he knew was that he did. He must, because nothing else made him feel this way. No one ever made his pulse race and his mind fog the way Hermione had in the two, yes _two_, interactions they had shared since his return.

He got up and left quickly. Now that Ginny was out of danger there was no point in sticking around, especially with his mum gushing over her and Harry. The love in the room was choking him; he needed to escape. Besides, he had a date to get back to.

He took the floo over to George's flat and was partly relieved to see that Blakely was still there. Sprawled out on the couch, her dress robes twisted around her thighs only giving a hint of what was underneath, he found her sound asleep. Ron stepped lightly, not wanting to wake her, more so that he could think than anything else.

He tip-toed into the loo and took his time removing his dress robes and preparing for bed, though he wasn't sure where exactly he would be sleeping. Fred's room was out of the question. He had just put his toothbrush down and turned the water off when he heard a light knock on the bathroom door.

When he opened it Blakely was standing there, hair askew and robes slightly turned to one side. She was so cute. Why, oh why, could he not fancy her the way he did Hermione?

"Mind if I come in?" She slunk into the room and immediately sat down on the toilet. A light tinkling noise came out and Ron was shocked to see that she was going to the bathroom right in front of him. She shamelessly wiped herself and stood up as she situated her robes back down. Ron was standing there, mouth agape, unable to process what in the world just happened.

"Sorry, had to go?" She shrugged and pushed him out of the way of the sink to rinse her hands.

Ron closed his mouth and inched out of the bathroom, still facing the girl who was now washing her hands as if nothing weird had just happened.

She finished up her hand washing and faced Ron with a sly smirk. She approached him slowly, hesitantly, yet daring. Her smooth fingers traced down along the side of his arm and she pulled him into her. Their mouths met, and Ron tried. He tried so hard to fall into the kiss, but now instead of the image of Hermione he had the image of her sitting on the toilet. _Peeing._

Ron pulled away once he felt she wouldn't be offended.

"Sorry, bit tired, been a long night." Her smile did not fade, but became hard.

"Sure, whatever." She shrugged again, gathered her wrap, and before Ron was able to say another word, was gone.

It had definitely been a very long night.

*****

Her mouth stretched into a wide yawn as she slunk in between the satin sheets of their large bed. Draco stood in front of the full length mirror that stood in the corner of their bedroom removing his necktie.

"I am so sleepy." Hermione said just before she completed a large yawn, the beginning of her sentence still holding a bit of the breathiness from it.

"It's been a long night." Draco responded matter-of-factly.

"Yes, it has."

"So," his voice took on a false casual air, "what were you and Weasley talking about?"

Hermione snuggled further into the bed, seeking comfort she knew she would not find there.

She made her tone as light as possible. "Oh, nothing much. A little of this, a little of that. You know."

Draco turned to face her, his gaze steely. "No, I don't know. If I did, I would not have asked."

She blushed and rolled over to face away from him. "Really Draco, it was nothing."

"Didn't look like 'nothing'." Ice hung from his words now, and Hermione winced.

She paused, trying to gather her thoughts. He made an impatient hiss as she worked out exactly what she was going to say to him.

"Draco?" Her questioning tone seemed to surprise him. "You… you didn't have anything to do with Ron's disappearance did you?"

His shoulders rose in response, and he bristled at her question. Shock stood evident on his face, but she held his stare. Her rational mind knew it was impossible, that there was no way he could have been the one to do it, no matter what Ron said. Draco had not even thought about her in that way back then. Minutes passed as they stared at one another.

Just when Hermione was about to give up and roll over onto her side, Draco spoke. "So, the Weasel thinks that I kidnapped him." He walked closer to their bed, still holding her gaze. "Why on earth would I have ever done something as inane, not to mention dangerous, as that?"

She pulled out her courage and responded. "He thinks that you did it to get to me." She gave him a sidelong glance. "So that you could have me."

An enormous sound, like thunder, erupted from Draco's lips. His face turned bright red, and at first Hermione did not know what was going on. She backed up against the headboard in fear that he was about to explode, but in fact he already had; in laughter.

Tears were spilling down his face, and he grasped his sides tightly. The thunder, which Hermione now saw was actually overly loud chuckles, spewed forth. She blushed again, this time in indignation.

"It's not funny!" She bristled.

"Y-Y-Yes, it is!" His voice came, trying to break through the endless laughter. He wiped at his eyes and moved closer to his end of the bed. If he didn't sit soon he would probably end up rolling on the floor.

"What's so funny about it?" She shot back, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

His laughter slowly died down so that just a light chortle burst forth every couple of seconds. When he seemed to have gotten control over himself he answered, "Hermione, I love you. But honestly, before I loved you, I couldn't bloody stand you." He placed his hand on her right arm and tried to pry it away from her interlocked embrace of herself.

She jerked away from his touch. "You couldn't stand me?" Hermione couldn't hide the hurt in her voice.

"C'mon, Hermione. You couldn't stand me either. This really shouldn't come as such a shock to you." He moved closer and wrapped his arms around her, the whole time her body stiff and unresponsive. He started nuzzling her neck, his breath warm on her skin. Goosebumps erupted, and she sighed into his embrace.

He trailed kisses up and down her collarbone and she slowly began to relax. She really couldn't be mad at him, what he said was true. In fact, she had just thought it to herself. Hermione had begun to enjoy his ministrations when he whispered gently in her ear.

"So, how about we go ahead and make that baby."

She went rigid, every bit of relaxation completely sapped from her body. _He had said 'one day'! He had definitely __not __said today. No, definitely not tonight. What was he thinking?_

He pulled away from her upon noticing the new stiffness in her body, even more than when he had started trying to calm her down.

"I'll take that as a 'no' then." Draco got up from the bed and went into the bathroom, the door slamming behind him.

Hermione's body jolted at the sound, but she couldn't move. His sudden change of heart sent her reeling. Tonight had been one hell of a roller coaster ride, and her mind couldn't take any more surprises. She slipped down into the sheets, wrapping them tightly around her shivering body. Sleep hit her faster then she had expected and before she knew it, morning came. She awoke to see that she was alone; Draco's half of the bed cold and undisturbed.

**A/N: So what did you think? How was their little discussion? Thanks so much to all for reading and especially those who have been reviewing. Love to hear from you guys… ******


	14. Everyone Wants to Go to Japan

"That woman is going to drive me crazy!" Ginny pulled at the roots of ginger hair in frustration as she approached Hermione.

"What woman?" Hermione was sitting, legs crossed, at the small café where they were set to meet for tea that afternoon.

"I'll give you one guess, and her name rhymes with psychotic-wedding-planner." Ginny plopped down in the metal framed seat and winced after realizing that the chair was not made for plopping.

"So your mum's been bit of a hassle then?" Hermione asked as she took a sip from her tea.

"A bit? A bit? The blasted woman is insane. She wants us to get married at the Burrow, like Bill and Fleur's wedding, but bigger. You should see the colors she has picked out. Bright pink and olive green. Barmy! Completely mental. I don't know what I am going to do with her!" Ginny waived the waitress down and ordered herself a scone and a cuppa.

"Have you tried telling her that you don't like those colors?"

"Yeah, it's like reasoning with a troll for all the good that will do you. She is just stressing me out so much. I don't know what to do. You can't leave me here by myself to deal with this madness all alone." Ginny lifted her gaze to Hermione, revealing her big brown puppy dog eyes.

Hermione chuckled and grabbed her friend's hand across the table. "I love you Gin, and I will be there for you whenever you need me to be, but I am still moving." She sat back and moved her hand further back down the table. "Have you given any thought to eloping? I mean I know that you guys aren't into the big fan fare of it all. Just a few friends and family along for the ride, and no one knows what's going on until you come back married. It's what Draco and I considered doing for a while."

The red head considered this for a moment. "Hermione, you are brilliant." Ginny flashed an electric smile at her friend. "We'll elope! No mum to tell me how to get married and what dress to wear, and you will be there and we can go somewhere fun, like on a vacation or something. Maybe Italy or France. We could make a whole holiday out of it. Harry will be thrilled; Merlin knows how much he hates the whole wedding hullabaloo."

Hermione snorted into her tea and then spit it out, "Did you just say 'hullabaloo'?" She grabbed her napkin to dry off the tea that she had spilled on her face, but the laughter kept coming. She watched Ginny's face turn pink, though from embarrassment or anger Hermione couldn't tell.

"Why don't you guys come with me to Japan on Thursday and do it while you're there? Then you can tell your mum that you are just helping me to get settled."

Again, Ginny's face brightened at the idea. "Merlin Hermione, Draco has certainly begun to rub off on you. You are positively devious."

"I prefer practical, but will take it as a compliment none the less." She took the last sip of her tea and with a tiny tinkle placed the cup into its porcelain saucer.

"Well Gin, let me know what you decide to do. I have to run. My parents are cooking a farewell dinner for us tonight." Hermione rose and placed her worn napkin onto the table beside her used teacup. She gave Ginny a quick hug and was off winding through the streets of Diagon Alley.

*****

Hermione hadn't seen Draco since the night before. She couldn't be sure if he would even remember that they were supposed to go to her parents for dinner that evening. She placed her shopping bags down in the hallway, and just as the paper of the largest bag touched the floor, Twinkles popped into the hall to remove them to a more appropriate location.

"Thank you, Twinkles," Hermione said to the little elf as the elf bowed and popped back to wherever she was going to stow the last minute shopping that Hermione had needed to do that day.

She trudged upstairs, worn out from the day's shopping and the events of the night before. Upon opening the door to their room, she was surprised to see Draco sitting in the chair of their bedroom, reading. He did not look up at her entrance, and she was immediately on her guard. If he wasn't speaking to her still, this could prove to be a very long night.

A warm bath was what she needed, something to soak up all the tension that was in her shoulders. Hopefully, it would take up enough time to soak up the tension that was in their bedroom.

She had been sitting in the tub, going over and over the events of the night before. Each scene played out in her mind like a movie reel. She tried to make sense of it all. She wanted to know how Ron knew about their past. Was it because he remembered, or had someone told him? She wondered what she was going to do about Draco. She didn't like that he was upset with her, and she was even more afraid of why he was upset with her. _Was he mad because he thought she didn't want kids at all, or just because he thought she didn't want his kids?_

The door opened and she watched as Draco approached the mirror and brushed his teeth.  
"We have to leave in half an hour if you want to make it to your parent's house on time." His voice held no emotion, and he quickly left after he'd made the statement. He hadn't even bothered to look at her. Instead, he chose to look upon his own reflection when speaking.

Hermione had never seen him so mad. It was unnerving. It was like the calm before the storm, and she just didn't know if she had the energy to face a storm right now.  
She stepped out of the tub and toweled herself dry. The heat of the water had curled her hair and it looked as bushy as it had when she was in school. Any other night she might have cared; tonight, she was just going to see her parents and Draco was being cold to her, so she didn't even bother to mess with the frizz and just pulled it up into a loose knot.

She put on one of her older muggle skirts and a blouse and was ready to leave ten minutes after stepping from the tub. Hermione didn't bother to look in the mirror.

Draco was back on the chair reading his book when she exited the closet fully clothed and ready to go.

Hermione couldn't bear to wait around in the silence. "Mind if we go a little early?"

Again, Draco didn't look up from his book and just shrugged his shoulders. Hermione started for the bedroom door when she heard him place the book atop the small table that sat by the chair. She walked out, Draco's light footsteps a few paces behind her.  
They took the car. Her parents, though comfortable enough with her being a witch, preferred that they not apparate or floo into their house. It was a twenty-minute drive with light traffic. They sat in the car silently while Draco tuned into the WWN that he had installed in their car to replace the muggle radio that originally came with the sedan.

Part of her just wanted to hash it all out on the ride, but thought better of it. Better that they save their argument for after their evening. However, the tension, which was currently suffocating her, would be palpable in the presence of her parents and she doubted that they would not notice it.

Draco pulled the car into her parent's driveway and Hermione alighted from the vehicle, shutting the car door behind her with a soft bang.

"Can we just pretend we are not fighting for tonight?" She pleaded with Draco when she heard the similar bang come from his side of the car.

"We aren't fighting." He said coldly, and stepped towards the front door, leaving Hermione standing by the car. She watched as his hand knocked on the blue front door that led into her childhood home.

Hermione rushed over to his side, not wanting to still be in the driveway when the door opened. It did not a second after she had stepped beside Draco's stiff form.

Her dad stood in the doorway, his receding hairline showing off a high forehead. "Hermoine! Draco! You are early. We weren't expecting you for another half an hour at least."

"Richard." Draco's voice came from beside her. It had softened slightly since his words to her just moments before. They shook hands, and Hermione's father led them into the sitting room that was off to the left of the entryway.

"Helen is in the kitchen. I'll go let her know you are here." Her dad made a move to leave when Hermione stopped him.

"No, let me go." She placed a hand on his shoulder to prevent him leaving the room and stepped in front of him, letting Draco and her dad have some quality time alone and giving herself some room to breathe properly.

When she was in the hallway, she paused and rested her back against the wall. She breathed in deeply and counted to ten before moving on towards the kitchen. Her mum was mixing greens in a large salad bowl while tossing in what looked like chopped peppers and onions.

"Need any help?"

"Oh Hermione, I didn't even realize you were here already." Her mum dropped the serving utensil that she had been using to toss the salad and came over to hug her daughter. Her mum had attempted to pull her curly hair back into a neat bun, but stray pieces flew about with a mind of their own, reminding Hermione of her own bushy hair-do.

"So, what can I do?" Hermione asked again.

"Do? Nothing dear, it's almost ready. Why don't you go and sit with your father? I will be out in just a minute." She shooed Hermione out of the door before she could even protest. She made her way back towards the sitting room.

"…to Japan. We will have to go and visit you." She heard her father's baritone voice from the hall.

"Of course you and Helen are welcome any time," Draco replied.

Hermione stepped into the room to see Draco seated on the floral couch against the back wall and her father in the leather chair that had a permanent print of his bottom sunken into it.

"So you and mum will come and visit then?" Hermione asked, knowing that they would, but needing to say something.

"Your mum has been dying to go East for some time, and now we have a great reason." He turned his head back towards Draco while gesturing for Hermione to come and sit with them. She took hesitant steps towards the sofa and sat on the further edge, giving plenty of space between herself and her husband.

"Well, I think you will really enjoy Okinawa. Shuri Castle is supposedly a beautiful sight, and there is tons of shopping in Naha's downtown area." Her father grinned at her informative speech; of course, Hermione had done her research on her soon to be home.

Draco sat in silence as Hermione discussed all of the great things that they could go and see when her parents came to visit. There was still that tension stifling the air, but Hermione did her best to ignore it and, in effect, ignore Draco. If her father noticed that something was off, he did not mention it.

"Dinner's ready." Her mother called from the other room. All three of them shuffled into the hall and towards the dining room, her father in the lead with Draco taking up the rear. They sat around the table with both of her parents at opposite ends while they faced each other head on.

Draco avoided her gaze and instead focused on unfolding his napkin and placing it into his lap. Hermione followed suit and made small talk with her mother while her father attempted to engage Draco in a discussion of politics.

Both conversations seemed to lack any real spark though, and the room pitched into silence with only the clattering of silver wear to break it up. It reminded Hermione of her dinners with Draco's parents, though this time the tension was coming from Draco and herself. She couldn't wait to get out of there and home where they could hash this out, or at least get out of each other's presence.

By the time the pudding had been served, the subject of Japan had been exhausted along with various other side topics that her parents had tried to bring up in order to break the silence.

"So how is your friend Ginny?" Her mum asked after five minutes of no one speaking.

"Engaged and pregnant." Draco's sharp reply snapped.

Her mum blushed and her dad coughed into his napkin while Hermione just stared at her husband, irritated by his blunt response.

"Well, isn't that nice." Her mother said once she had recovered from the initial shock. "So when are you two going to make me a grandma?"

Draco's eyes flashed and Hermione went white.

"Helen." Her father reproached. "Leave the poor kids alone. They've not even been married for a year."

Hermione let out a long breath and Draco turned his head away again from her. The rest of the evening past in uneventful awkwardness and Hermione was grateful when it was finally over. As soon as she heard the front door shut behind her she relaxed her shoulders slightly, though the tension had followed them both outside.

Draco was already sitting in the car by the time Hermione had reached the door handle. She was loath to ride another half an hour in the horrible silence of their ride there. She opened the door and stuck her head in.

"I think I will just apparate home." Draco, facing forward, just nodded in assent and started the engine. She closed the door with more force than necessary and walked to the corner of the driveway, watching him pull out and drive away with the reflection of the taillights shining on the rain glistened street.

She walked a ways, using the fresh air to clear her mind and release her body from all of the built up frustration. She must have been walking for some time, because she suddenly realized that she was lost. Even though she hadn't truly lived with her parents in years and years, she still knew this neighborhood like the back of her hand.  
When she found herself on a street that she did not recognize, her first instinct was to panic. After a slight pause, she remembered that she was a witch and was completely able to apparate home, which is exactly what she did.

When she opened the front door, the first thing that she noticed was that the entire house was alight. Then a loud crack jolted her back, and Twinkles was by her side.  
"Mistress is safe!" The little elf cried out.

"Of course I am."

Then she heard heavy footfalls on the stairs and Draco was standing there with his hair sticking up in all directions and his shirt un-tucked from one side. _Had she missed something?_

"Where have you been?" His voice was hard and did not match his appearance at all.

"I went for a walk and lost track of time." Hermione defended.

"Two hours?" He walked slowly down the rest of the stairs and looked into her eyes, as if he was searching for the truth.

"Really? Has it been two hours?" Hermione took a step back and looked over to the clock that sat on the entryway table. "Wow, I hadn't noticed at all."

"I was worried." He said in a strained voice, and then turned and stomped back up the stairs.

"Draco." Hermione called out to him, but he did not turn around.

There was a small tug coming from her right side, and Hermione looked to see Twinkles still standing there.

"Would miss like me to take her coat?" The elf asked.

Hermione removed her light cloak and handed it into the wrinkled, outstretched hand. Then her shoulders slumped and she trod slowly into her sitting room where she lit a small fire and cried herself to sleep.

**A/N: I have brought it back to Sunday - now you can have your Sunday paper back twixie:) ******

**So how did you like it? Was the tension good? Did it need work? Did Hermione asking Ginny to elope in Japan sound okay or was it contrived? ******

**Thanks to all for reading and special thanks to those who have reviewed. ****  
****P.S. Georgia Weasley rocks, best beta ever!**


	15. The Crying Game

"So I think we are going to be eloping… to Japan." Harry took a large draught of his ale.

"Japan?" Ron spit out the sip he had just imbibed. "Why?"

Harry shrugged and put down his tankard. "I guess because Ginny doesn't want our wedding turning into a circus. Japan could be fun. We would at least get to help Hermione settle in."

"So you're going to stay with her then?" Ron's eyes roamed about the room, never landing on anything specific, but pointedly avoiding meeting his friend's knowing green eyes.

"Look Ron, I know it will be weird but you just have to let the past go. Just be civil and I promise I will do everything I can to keep Ginny from interfering."

Ron turned his attention back to Harry, with an incredulous look. "What are you on about? When will I ever have to see her again to be civil? She is moving to Japan!"

"You're coming too, you git! It's not like I can get married without my best man." Harry's grin was wide, and it pushed his glasses up further on his nose.

Ron just shook his head, his mouth hung open and eyes glossy.

"You are coming, Ron." Harry tossed a balled up napkin and it glanced off Ron's shaggy, ginger hair.

"I-I can't." He gulped, and then took a long pull from his mug.

"You don't have a choice!"

"Yes I do, and I choose _not_ to go to Japan."

"No, Ron, you don't! I have spent years thinking the worst, hoping for the best. Years and years, waiting for you to show up, not knowing if that was even a possibility. Every time I thought about proposing to Ginny, I couldn't get the words out. It wasn't right not having you around." Harry's eyes bore into the blue of Ron's. "You are going to be at my wedding, even if Ginny decides that she wants to get married in Delores Umbridge's office with Filch playing the piano and spiders dancing the polka," Harry pointed his finger into Ron's chest, "and you are going to do it with a smile!"

Ron grimaced and did not say anything further. He knew better then to mess with Harry when he had that no nonsense look on his face.

"So, we were thinking of going over on Thursday to help Hermione get settled in." Harry continued in this train while Ron just stared on in bewilderment.

_How was he going to get through this? How would Hermione react?_ There was no way that he could talk to her, not after what he had said the last time. This wedding would be the death of him.

Then, he thought more about it and realized it _could _be the death of him when his mum finds out that Ginny and Harry have eloped and he didn't tell her…

"Harry?"

Harry stopped rambling and looked with concern at Ron. "Yeah?"

"What about mum? She's going to spit fire when she finds out that you two got married and she wasn't there."

"We thought about that. Not sure yet what we're going to do…" Harry's expression changed from that of excitement to one of nerves.

They both sat in silence, each one thinking of their own way to get around the Molly problem.

"What if we all go to Japan, you know, tell everyone that it's a trip to help…" he gulped, "…Hermione. Then we surprise them all with the wedding one day. That way they are all there, so no one can be mad; or at least not _really_ mad." Ron also liked this idea because meant that there would be more people there as a buffer for him.

"That's not a bad idea. We would have to run it by Hermione. That's a lot of people to invite to her home."

Ron took this opportunity to interject another idea that came to him when suggesting bringing his entire family. "We don't all have to stay with Hermione. Maybe we could get a hotel or something nearby."

Harry looked thoughtful, and they spent the rest of the evening talking over the possibilities of such an idea.

****

"It's really not a bad idea," Ginny told Harry that night in bed. Harry's head was in her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I thought it was pretty good myself," Harry added with a yawn.

"I'll see what Hermione thinks. It's a lot to ask of her." Ginny continued to stroke his head as Harry's eyes drooped slowly closed.

"I think Ron intended on everyone staying in a nearby hotel," he said in his sleep-filled voice.

"Not if I can help it." However, Harry didn't hear a word Ginny said, having fallen into a drunken sleep.

*****

Hermione had been spending all of her time in her little room, the few belongings that they were bringing with them to Japan already packed. Draco had hardly said three words to her since that night. So, Hermione lost herself in her books and an occasional walk through the bluebells. She had just settled into her favorite chair with a new book when a small pop interrupted her.

"Hermione?" Ginny's voice came whining through the floo.

Hermione rolled her eyes before looking up from her book to see Ginny's floating head in her fireplace. "Yes?"

"Mind if I come in?"

"Of course you can come in." Again, she rolled her eyes at her friend and placed her book gently down upon the coffee table. A moment later, Ginny's full form came through the crackling green fire; she brushed the traces of ash from her shoulders and plopped down on the couch.

"I think we are going to try and get the whole family out to Japan with us. Y'know, so mum doesn't completely go mental."

Hermione pushed down the feeling of dread that had started to creep up her spine at Ginny's words. "That'll be nice." Her voice sounded strained, but she forced a small smile onto her face.

"I knew you'd be okay with it." Ginny put a satisfied smirk on her face, and Hermione looked at her friend in bewilderment. "I mean, I know it might be a little awkward, and of course you guys will have just moved in, but I can't ask them all to come and then have them stay in a hotel."

Realization dawned on Hermione and all she could do was gape as her friend prattled on about how they would not be any trouble at all. It took her some moments before she was able to gather her wits enough to respond.

"Ginny, I don't know that it is such a good idea." She looked at her friend in earnest, willing for Ginny to understand how much of a bad idea it truly was.

"I promise we will be as quiet as church mice." She took Hermione's hands in her own and continued, "I can't ask them to pay for a hotel, not when I am going to surprise them with the wedding. I have to give them a reason to come in the first place. Please Hermione. Pretty please?" Ginny's voice grew whinier towards the end, and Hermione only thought about how much she wanted to hex her friend right now for putting her in this position.

Currently, she was barely speaking to her husband and there was no way that he would be okay with all of the Weasley's staying with them, especially not a particularly tall ex-boyfriend Weasley.

"Really Gin, I don't think that would be a good idea at all." Hermione's voice grew stern.

At Hermione's harsh tone, Ginny burst into tears. Through her heaving sobs, Hermione could barely make out the words "Can't…get married…would kill me…family…" Then the pillow that she had shoved her face into stifled her voice completely.

Hermione didn't know what to do. She couldn't say yes without causing more strife in her marriage, and she couldn't say no to her crying pregnant friend.

"Look Ginny, I am sorry…" Hermione patted her friend's head, "…things have been hard lately and I don't want to push it anymore with Draco."

Ginny looked up with her tear stained face. Her sobbing had quieted, and she sniffled slightly. "No Hermione, I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I shouldn't have asked." Ginny wiped at her face with the back of her hand as she slowly gained control of herself.

"What shouldn't you have asked?" Draco was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed.

"It's nothing." Hermione tried to brush the topic away, glad that Draco seemed at least willing to speak to her in front of others.

"I believe I was talking to Ginny," Draco said coolly. "So, what shouldn't you have asked?"

"Really Draco, it's nothing." Ginny's voice wavered and tears threatened to spill again.  
"So you're crying over nothing?" His voice oozed incredulity. He took a menacing step towards them.

Hermione didn't know why, as he had never been able to intimidate her before, but at this moment she was a little afraid of her husband.

"It was silly. Just an idea. Don't worry about it." Ginny continued in a meek tone.  
Draco just stood in the doorway and stared coldly at the two of them. Hermione shivered slightly, and Ginny hiccupped at his steely gaze.

After a minute of his glare Hermione caved and said, "Ginny wanted to have her entire family come and stay with us when we move, to help us get settled and so they could be there when Ginny and Harry elope."

"I don't think it is considered eloping if you are letting everyone come to the wedding," Draco cool voice rang out.

"It is when they don't know that they are going to Japan for a wedding." Ginny's color was up and her slight nervousness from before vanished as her defensiveness rang through.

Draco just nodded.

"I told her it would be inconvenient to have them _all_ stay with us, especially right away…" Hermione's voice trailed off when Draco just looked at her with his masked expression.

"I am surprised at you Hermione," his tone still cold. "Your best friends are getting married and all they ask is that you invite their entire family over and you tell her 'No'. That really doesn't seem like you." He shook his head in mock indignation. "We would be happy to have your family come and stay with us."

Hermione gaped at Draco, and Ginny just stared unblinkingly.

"Really, I insist." He still hadn't removed the chill from his tone, and the invite was not a warm one.

"Th-Thanks." Ginny finally managed to eke out, though she turned quickly to look at Hermione for her reaction.

Hermione continued staring at her husband in a mixture of awe and fear. He was up to something, and she was more than nervous to find out what.

He just nodded and left the room.

"Maybe it would be better if they stayed in a hotel." Ginny's voice broke through the silence.

Hermione jerked at the sound of her voice but was able to collect herself very quickly.

"No, no I think it will be great!" She plastered the widest fake smile that she had on her face and watched as an unconvinced Ginny left shortly after through the floo.

*****

The entire Weasley clan was sitting in the living room while Ginny went on about how much Hermione wanted them all to go to Japan to help her get settled. Looks of wary surprise were on everyone's face even throughout Ginny and Harry's unconvincing speech about how it would be really helpful to Hermione and would make her feel better about moving so far away.

Everyone still looked unbelievingly at Ginny until the tears started to flow. Ron watched on as his sister broke out with the water works and everyone bustled around her. Even George and Angelina appeared fooled by her delicate state. Didn't they realize that, pregnant or not, this was Ginny? She's the one who managed to convince Fred into giving her driving lessons, only to have the car wind up in the lake. Then she was able to pin the entire incident on a garden gnome.

"Of course we will come if you really think that Hermione wants us there." Ron's mum was stroking Ginny's long hair and his dad was standing near-by looking on with concern.

Charlie, who had come in town after Ron's return and was intending to go back to Romania that following Saturday, was even convinced of her silly charade. Ron understood why she was going to so much trouble. He knew that his sister would hate it if her entire family couldn't be there. What he couldn't understand is why she refused to let them get a hotel, or why Ginny couldn't just say… "We're going to get married there, and hey, you should all come too."

But his mum would make a fuss, and at least this way he wouldn't have to deal with months of her on his back about best man duties. He sighed and joined in with his families assurances that they would all be there, 'for Hermione'.

"You know this is going to be dreadful, right?" Ron said to Harry once the noise died down and everyone had settled into discussing other things.

Harry grinned. "No, it's going to be my wedding."

Ron rolled his eyes and sulked back into his chair. If he couldn't talk to Harry about this, and he most certainly couldn't talk to Ginny, who was he going to talk to about it? He felt like something was missing, and though he suspected what that something was; he tried to ignore it.

He decided immediately that he would make himself scarce until his presence was required. Even if he ended up holing himself into whatever guest room the Malfoy's – he was sickened at even the thought of their name – decided to put him in. This time there would be no escaping to Blakely, not that he really wanted to.

"So, the portkey leaves tomorrow at noon." Ginny's voice broke out.

"Wait, tomorrow?" Percy asked. "You didn't tell us we would be leaving tomorrow."

_Ah, salvation._

Ginny pouted out her lower lip. "Please, I promised Hermione and I really don't want to go there without the rest of my family."

"Why is this so important to you, Gin?" Bill's voice boomed above the noise of the rest of their family.

Her eyes started to water again. "Because it is important to Hermione…" Her bottom lip started to quiver.

_Oh, she was good._

"All right, I'll see what I can do about work." Bill said after a pointed look from Fleur.

The rest of the family grumbled again about their agreement to go to Japan. Ron heard George whisper, "I bet there's another little surprise waiting for us over there," to Angelina, and Charlie who had obviously heard his younger brother as well, smirked.

Well at least they _all _weren't completely buying it, Ron thought.

Then there was a flash of green in the floo, and a rough voice called out, "Ah, Potter, there you are. I have been looking all over for you."

Everyone turned their heads to see Reynolds' head floating in the flames. Harry rushed over to the fireplace and ducked down to meet his boss's gaze.

"We think there is a lead on the Weasley kidnapping," Reynolds said as if his head wasn't floating in the Weasley fireplace. "A gardener down in Longford said he spotted someone fitting the Weasley boy's description along with two other men not a month ago walking along a nearby lane together."

Everyone in the room listened to the conversation with rapt attention. Angelina absently rubbed George's arm while he stared into the fire, mouth agape.

Molly bustled closer to the hearth, catching every word in her perfectly attuned ears. Arthur gripped the arm of his chair while Victoire, Bill's daughter, lay curled into his lap, unusually silent. Percy stood erect while his wife Audrey took hold of his hand. Bill and Charlie shared silent nods while Fleur sat elegantly at Bill's side and brushed her fingers through her hair.

Only Ginny seemed to focus on Ron rather then what Reynolds was saying. She moved towards Ron's seat in the corner and looked down at him with hope. He could see the tears that she had so recently shed still glistening on her lashes and giving her eyes that glazed over look.

Ron, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to do. Therefore, he just watched Ginny and the rest of his family as they reacted for him. It wasn't as if it was earth shattering news; it was just a hint of what might be a possible lead. None of it sounded familiar to him, so he would wait until something more substantial could be determined.

That idea seemed not to have occurred to anyone else, or if it had none of them wanted to voice it for fear that they would crush the hope that Molly Weasley clung to so desperately. She needed the hope that someday they would find out who robbed her of four years with her younger son, the same someone who stole away his most precious memories.

At that thought, he became even more unsettled. Of course he wanted to find the missing pieces of what happened to him! Of course he wanted to know who had done this and why! But, and he repeated this over and over to himself, he did not want his memories back! They would only bring hurt, of that he was sure. He hurt now without anything to grasp. The pain that he would feel once he knew how much he cared for Hermione, knew how much she maybe cared for him, would be more than any torture that he could bear.

He rose silently from his seat and ignored the hand that tried to grasp at his sleeve as he left. The back door swung shut behind him and he paced around the pond, trying his best to focus on the impending trip of doom to Japan rather than the thought that they might someday find a way for him to suffer even more then he did now. Someday they would figure it all out and try to get his memories back.

**A/N: I know it is hard to believe that the entire family would just give into Ginny, but I figure that since she is the only girl and the youngest and preggo then maybe they would more easily give into her little whim (at least that is what I am going with here). I hope it was convincing enough. ****  
****Thanks so much to all for reading and reviewing and special thanks to Georgia Weasley my sock rocking Beta!**


	16. Moving Forward

There was an owl tapping at their bedroom window. Draco lay next to Hermione, though the space in between them could have fit three other people. The muscles of his back spasmed slightly at the insistent tapping. Hermione, still awake doing some late night research, placed her bookmark carefully in her book before closing it and heading toward the window to relieve the bird of its delivery.

She found a short note written in Ginny's distinctive hand.

_Possible lead towards what happened to Ron; need to delay our trip for a couple of days. The family and I will meet you in Japan on Sunday. Will tell you more then. ___

_-Ginny_

Hermione's breath hitched slightly in her chest, and Draco turned his face towards her for the first time that night.

"Something interesting?" His brow arched as his lips thinned into a small sneer.

"Nothing important. Ginny just wrote to say that they will be delaying their trip for a couple of days and won't be able to join us until Sunday." Hermione rolled the parchment back up tightly and placed it into the top of her desk drawer. She didn't want to say anything about Ron for fear that Draco would erupt or, worse, continue ignoring her.

His questioning gaze did not falter but she brushed it aside and continued her research as normal, working very hard to keep from betraying any hint that she wasn't being entirely honest with him.

After paling under his scrutiny for five minutes, she placed the book back down. "Draco?"

"Yes?" His voice was low and expectant.

"Can we stop fighting now?" She looked over to watch the expression on his face change, but not by much.

"We aren't fighting Hermione. You have been with me long enough to know what our fighting looks like and this is not it." He continued to stare at her, which unnerved her even further.

"Okay then, will you stop being mad at me?" Hermione was pleading slightly, and she hated when her voice took on that tenor, but enough was enough.

"Mad? Why on earth would I be mad?" He pushed himself into a seated position. "Hurt maybe, but mad at the Great Know-It-All? Never! No reason to be mad because my wife can't stand the idea of bearing my children, or because she hides things from me," at this he pointed his head towards her desk drawer, "nor am I mad because you were gone for two hours the other night with no explanation as to your whereabouts." His frosty words pierced her heart, and she recoiled at his accusations.

She sat there in silence, the air thick with insinuation. Her left hand twisted over the side of the bed, her fingers wrapping and wringing through the covers, hidden from his view. Instead of giving in, she focused on his last words and his allegation that she had done something in those two hours; that he hadn't believed her when she said that she just was walking.

She narrowed her eyes, lids barely touching as she glared at her husband. "How. Dare. You!" She punctuated each word with a poke into his shoulder.

Draco's expression changed quickly to that of shock. He had obviously not expected her anger.

"HOW. DARE. YOU!" She shouted at him as she rose from the bed, tearing the sheets off him and flinging them to the floor. "I have never, not ever, given you reason to believe that I am capable of doing whatever you are trying to accuse me of." Okay so maybe she had had her secret thoughts, but she would never have acted on them; she shoved that thought aside.

He blanched and inched further over to his side of the bed.

"That wasn't…" He tried to get out in a calm tone, but Hermione would hear nothing of it.

"That was exactly it! What do you think I did? Huh? Where do you think I went?" She stomped over to his side of the bed and partly gloried in watching him try to squirm into the middle.

"Nowhere? I was just…"

"You were just what? Worried? Worried that maybe I was cheating on you? How could you?" She wanted to shout out, scream at the top of her lungs. Instead, she turned her back to him and hid the tears that were now streaming from her face.

They were tears of anger and hurt, and even though she hadn't done what he thought, tears of guilt. So what if she hadn't actually gone to see Ron? So what if they had shared barely five minutes of conversation since he had come home? Cheating wasn't only a physical act, and every time those blue eyes and that floppy ginger hair of his made their way into her mind, she knew that what she was thinking was wrong.

_How could it be possible to love two people at the same time? Why didn't she just wait for Ron? Why couldn't Ron have stayed gone?_ Each thought left her cold inside. She was a horrible wife, she had been a horrible girlfriend, and she was now a completely horrible person.

Warm hands found their way to her shoulders and she shivered at the contact of skin on skin.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her ear, his hot breath tickling her neck.

"Oh, Draco!" She cried as she turned around and buried her face into his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and they stood there in the middle of their bedroom just holding onto one another as if their marriage depended on it, which perhaps it did.

*****

Harry spent the entire next day at the Ministry. When he finally came home and sank into his favorite chair, he looked exhausted.

"So how did it go?" From the look on his face, she didn't really think that she had to ask. It obviously had not gone very well.

"We didn't get much. Mr. Elders wasn't able to recall any more than what you heard from Reynolds in the floo yesterday." Harry removed his glasses and pinched his nose between his forefinger and thumb.

Ginny walked over and began to massage his shoulders. Harry pulled forward to allow her better access to the knots in his back as he continued. "He didn't want us to go through his memories," he sighed.

Ginny stopped rubbing. "Well, you should have forced him."

He jerked his shoulders further into her hands to remind her of her task. "Can't, it's against The Privacy Act."

"Who cares about some stupid Privacy Act?" Though she continued her ministrations, her grip tightened and she was rubbing more forcefully.

"Ouch!" Harry cried out, pulling out of her iron clasp.

"Sorry." She rubbed along the spots that she had been kneading. "I just wish that there was something more."

"I know. Me, too." Harry sat back in the chair and Ginny moved in front of him. "It isn't all hopeless though. I am going to check out the place tomorrow with Reynolds and Jacobs. Who knows, maybe we'll find something more."

Ginny knelt in front of the chair and looked into her fiancés tired face. "Maybe," she said softly. She placed her palm on his cheek and gazed into his emerald eyes. "But you better not miss our wedding." She went in and planted a simple kiss on his lips.

****

"Here are the sketches that our artist came up with." Reynolds threw down the parchment with the faces drawn on them. "Let me know if anything looks familiar." Reynolds hovered over Ron's shoulder, well actually more his chest, as he wasn't a very tall man, and watched as Ron studied the images placed before him.

The first showed a man with dark curly-looking hair. With features so benign, there was no real way to discern who it might be from the drawing. The next picture, still as vague as the other, seemed a bit more familiar. The bloke in this one sported a bright blond head with a prominent chin.

Maybe it was Ron's propensity to believe that this caricature was whom he thought it was, but now that he had seen it, he felt sure in his initial belief. Draco Malfoy had been responsible for his kidnapping, and he was going to find a way to prove it.

Even though Japan was the last place that he had wanted to be, he now had a reason to go and he would find vindication, if not proof.

*****

Everything was packed. She'd magicked all of the things that she was bringing with her to fit in a small tote bag now being carted away. She looked throughout the house carefully, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything important; not that she couldn't have gone back to get it.

Hermione strolled through the rooms of her estate and paused only slightly in her favorite sitting room to take it all in. Of course they would be back, not only for visits, but eventually they would come home permanently. Finally she stopped in their bedroom, checking to make sure that no books that she might need for her research had been left behind. She scanned the shelf, going over all of the titles carefully and grazed her fingers down the spine.

Hermione felt the familiar binding of the hollow book and paused in her search. Should she bring her memories with her? Could she bear to leave them behind? Then she heard footsteps coming towards their bedroom and without thinking shoved the secret book/hiding place into her tote with the rest of her belongings.

"There you are. It's almost time to be going." Draco's pale skin glowed in the light of the morning, and Hermione took in his six feet two inches and tried her hardest not to compare it to a six seven red head that she knew.

"Yes, just making sure we didn't forget anything."

He chuckled. "Yes, because heaven forbid we forget a book. How would you ever survive?" Draco mused.

Hermione grimaced and then moved away from the bookshelf. "I think we have it all, or enough of it anyway."

It was half eleven when they finally left their home and headed towards the International Portkey Terminal. There were a few people milling about the small building that to the muggle eye would have looked like nothing more than a deserted post office.

People in purple uniforms stood behind a great checkout counter that reminded Hermione of the muggle checkout desks in an airport. They approached one of the counters towards the far left, which seemed to have the shortest line, and waited patiently as the line moved forward.

"Destination?" A cheery voice asked. Hermione looked to see a rosy faced girl of no more than 18 looking at her. Her bright cloak gave a slight purple tint to her face.

"Okinawa, Japan." Draco responded.

"May I see your receipt?" The girl asked in her pleasantly cheerful voice.

Draco handed over a piece of parchment with their reservation on it and they waited as she perused the document.

"I see here that there are to be more people in your party?" The girl, whose nametag read Amelia, looked up.

"Actually it will just be the two of us for today," Hermione managed to get out without the slightest crack in her voice.

"Wonderful." Amelia's smile was bright, and Hermione instantly thought that her parents would have loved this girl, if only for the fact that she had amazingly white and straight teeth.

"If you will just proceed to room 222 on your left, the portkey will be leaving at 12:01." Amelia handed back the parchment to Draco. He took Hermione's arm and herded her towards room 222.

There was only one other person in the room when they entered. The small elderly woman of obvious Asian descent stood back as Hermione and Draco walked in. They all stood in silence as they waited patiently for the attendant to bring in the portkey.

A man entered the room at precisely 11:59 holding what Hermione recognized to be a hula-hoop. The man walked into the center of the room and placed the yellow hula-hoop on the lone table.

"We had been expecting more of you." His scratchy voice came out as his eyes darted about the room looking at each person in turn. "But, no matter. Please come to the center of the room and place your right hand on the portkey. Make sure to keep all luggage safely stowed away on your person. To prevent any incident, we ask that you maintain your hold until after all parties have landed safely. Are there any questions?" The man paused for the briefest of seconds. "No? Then, from all of us at the International Portkey Terminal, we wish you the best and thank you for choosing IPT." He said that last, if possible, in an even more bored tone than he had used before.

Hermione and Draco approached the hula-hoop along with the elderly woman and each held onto the object. A minute later, the familiar tugging sensation kicked in. Hermione's grip tightened. She closed her eyes and felt, rather than watched, as they went spiraling into the air. The journey took longer than any other portkey Hermione had taken before, an entire 3 minutes had passed before she felt floor beneath her feet. She swayed slightly but Draco's left arm held her up about her waist.

The elderly woman landed more roughly, and she fell upon impact. Hermione immediately let go of the hula-hoop and rushed towards the fallen traveler to help her to her feet.

She gave Hermione a wide toothless smile. "Tank you bery much." The woman put her hands together and bowed at the waist. "You have a bery handsome man." She pulled Hermione closer and whispered in her ear, "You shouldin trust him." Then, before Hermione had time to respond, the woman apparated out of the room.

She must have looked shocked, because a second later a concerned Draco appeared at her side.

"What did she say?"

Hermione gathered herself together and gave Draco a winning smile. "Oh nothing, just said that you were handsome." She then pulled his arm and they headed out of the room.

**A/N: So what do you think? Any new theories? How about the fight between Hermione and Draco, was it believable? ****  
****Thanks of course goes out to Georgia Weasley my wonderful beta! And thanks to all of you who are reading and reviewing. All feedback is wonderful (especially the constructive kind).**


	17. Found Memories

"I'm telling you it was Draco, mate." Ron twirled his wand around in the air as blue sparks flew out of it.

"Hey! Watch where you point that thing!" Harry pushed Ron's wand to the side. "Look, I am not saying that you don't have a valid suspicion but, really Ron, I don't think Draco is behind this one. Trust me, I have looked." Harry looked a bit sheepish and Ron suspected that Hermione probably had no idea that Harry ever suspected Malfoy.

"Yeah, well I think he did it and I will prove it!"

"Okay, just be careful. He may be married to Hermione now, but he is still a Slytherin."

Ron cocked an eyebrow, as if he could forget what Malfoy was. "Look, just don't let him catch you at sneaking about. For that matter, don't let Hermione catch you either. Remember she can still hex a helluva lot better than you can."

Ron's face turned pink, and under his breath he muttered, "Glad I can't remember then." A bit louder Ron said, "So did you find anything when you were in Longford?"

"No, though we hadn't really expected to." Harry began packing a bag for their trip to Japan that day.

"Yeah, guess not."

"So... talked to Blakely recently?"

"She owled me the other day, but I haven't written back yet." Ron sat on the edge of Harry's bed and watched as Harry folded up a navy blue robe.

"Why not?" Harry raised a questioning eyebrow in Ron's direction.

Ron scratched the back of his head, leaving bits of his hair sticking out to the side. "Dunno." He shrugged. "Not really any point is there?"

Harry let the subject drop, for which Ron was grateful.

"You ready yet, mate?"

Harry shoved a black cloak into this bag and then zipped it shut. "Yep, ready."

"I meant, are you ready to get married?"

Harry's face blanched and he gulped before answering in a clear voice, "Yes."

"Right answer," Ron replied and then patted his friend on the back as they made their way downstairs where the rest of the family was gathered. They were taking the floo that Hermione had hooked up with Ginny and Harry's fireplace and all the red heads (and a couple varying other colors) queued up in front of the stone hearth awaiting their turn to enter the flames.

*****

"Oh, why did you insist on having them all stay here?" Hermione fumed while straitening up the last of the guest rooms for the Weasleys.

Draco was helping her to put the rooms in order, under penalty of serious injury from Hermione.

"Keeping my enemies close," he mumbled while throwing the last pillow onto the bed.

"The Weasleys are not your enemies." She huffed and, arms crossed, gave Draco an exasperated look complete with blowing a stray curl from in front of her face.

"Yeah right," he said in response before tucking the newly placed pillows under the quilt.

Hermione stared at him until he looked up from his task. Her fiery stare made him raise his arms in submission. "Fine. They aren't my enemies. Happy?" He grimaced

"That'll do for now. This is a big deal for Ginny and Harry and I won't have you ruining it." Her tone softened as she approached him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I know that it is hard for you. It isn't always easy for me to reconcile the two halves of my life but please try to be nice, for me."

He lowered his arms and wrapped them around her small form. "I'll see what I can do."

Hermione smiled into his chest, hoping that any plans that he had formed before had been wiped out with this conversation. She had fretted about it ever since he calmly invited the entire family to stay with them. Knowing her husband would never do something out of the goodness of his own heart, she worried that there might have been some devious plan developing in that twisted Slytherin brain of his.

Relief filled her, and now all she needed to worry about was being in the same house as Ron the entire week. Thankfully there would be so many other people there that she would be able to avoid him quite easily, or so she hoped.

The clock in the hall chimed ten, and Hermione jumped at the invasive noise. "They'll be here any second." She ran out of the room and down the hall into the only room with a fireplace just as the green flames flared to life.

Out popped Ginny, followed closely by her mother and father. There was hardly time to greet one member before another flash of the flames indicated that someone else was coming through. Bill came next followed by Fleur, who clutched Victoire closely. Then Percy, Audrey, Charlie, George, Angelina, and Harry finally appeared. When there wasn't another flare of green after Harry, Hermione stared into the fireplace; feelings of relief as well as regret consumed her.

She gave hugs to the entire party and was just about to show them all to their respective rooms when the fire flashed and out came the last Weasley. He stooped low so as not to bump his head on the mantel and ducked into the room, not bothering to look anywhere but the floor.

"Glad you could make it," Hermione managed to eke out. "Now if you will all just follow me, I'll show you where you'll be staying so you can get settled in."

The place they had rented had low ceilings, and some of the members of the party (mainly Ron) had to stoop slightly in certain areas of the home. It was more of a compound then a house. Hallways led into little cabana like structures that were all built around a Japanese styled garden. Each structure boasted a couple of rooms and a large balcony overlooking the garden. There were 6 structures in all.

The main one was the one that the Weasleys just entered through, and was made up of four rooms. It contained a library, kitchen, study, and one guest room. Hermione directed Charlie in the direction of this first room and led the rest through the remainder of the home, losing a couple of Weasleys at every stop.

She had put Harry and Ginny in the same cabana house as their own, and grouped Percy and Audrey with his parents. Angelina, George and Ron all shared a little house, and Bill, Fleur, and Victoire took the last. The remaining cabana was used as their bath house, and had a rather large soaking tub planted in the middle of the room.

They planned to get settled and then meet in the kitchen area for a light lunch. After that Ginny, Harry and Hermione would 'run errands' while everyone else stayed to help sort out the rest of the unpacking.

*****

"It won't take long; I just needed some help with a couple of errands I wanted to run today." Hermione said as she looked at her watch.

"Dear, would you like me to come too?" Ron heard his mum pipe in as she rose from her seat.

"NO!" Ginny moved quickly towards their mum and pushed her back down. "No, we'll be fine. Like Hermione said, it won't take very long."

Everyone looked at Ginny oddly, but she brushed it off and turned to face Hermione. "Ready to go then?" Ginny grabbed Harry by the arm, and they followed behind as Hermione rushed from the house.

"What's got her knickers in a twist?" George muttered to Charlie behind his hand.

Molly snapped her head around and glared at George, who turned red and quickly put his hand back at his side.

"So, Ron, Charlie, Bill and Angelina can take the library. George, Percy and Audrey can take the study. Arthur and I will finish setting up the kitchen." Molly began bustling about the room while all her children remained seated at the table, still debating if they were supposed to listen to her or not.

"Why can't I be with Ange?" George whined.

"Because I want you to actually do some work, not sit in a corner and snog each other's faces off." His mum retorted back.

"What about me?" Fleur asked as she pulled a knife out of Victoire's reach. "Em I to just seet and watch?"

"Well, you have Victoire to look after." Molly turned to face her daughter-in-law.

"You can help me to finish up the bedroom," a deep voice came from doorway.

Draco stood there with a devilish smirk on his face. Ron inwardly shuddered at the sight of him. Why couldn't he just leave them all in peace as he had for lunch?

Bill didn't look too pleased with the idea of his wife and child spending any alone time with a Malfoy, let alone in his bedroom. "Maybe I should help with the bedroom, too." The look on his face brooked no argument.

Draco just shrugged. "Have it your way." He turned and walked out of the room, and the rest of the family took that as their cue to relax.

"What are you all just sitting around for? Get to work!"

At their mother's request everyone shot up out of their seats and to their respective tasks.

Ron followed Charlie into the library with Angelina closely on their heels.

"She's a bit scary sometimes," she said once they were all safely tucked away into the library.

Both brothers nodded their heads in agreement.

There were bookshelves lining the entire back wall, and a wall of windows with a sliding door leading out onto a balcony overlooking the garden in the middle of the compound. Boxes filled with books piled up against the wall opposite it. It was these that they were to put away.

A bit of parchment laid out on one of the only bits of furniture stated exactly how the books were to be ordered.

"Should have figured," Charlie groaned aloud.

"What?" Angelina asked.

Charlie showed her the parchment, and she too grunted in annoyance.

"Well, it's not like we didn't know." Charlie continued. "I mean, Ron, remember that…" Charlie's voice faded off as he took a look at his youngest brother.

Ron went white and turned his head towards one of the stacks of boxes, making as if to open one.

"Sorry."

Ron just grunted and continued to work his way into the top box on the left.

After that they all worked quietly, the other two far too embarrassed to speak and Ron so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hardly registered the lack of conversation. He looked through each box diligently, and leafed through several of the books as if looking for something.

The box he was looking into seemed to be filled with Hermione's books, as her name was written in each cover. Ron needed to find some of Draco's, so instead of organizing the stacks he decided to tear into a few more of the boxes to see if he could find any trace of a clue to help him prove Draco responsible for his kidnapping.

After the last box had been ripped through and there was still no whisper of anything, Ron sat dejectedly in the corner. His brother and Angelina decided to let him slack off for a bit, and didn't seem to bother that he was now being a useless git.

Ron stared around the room, looking for something that might hold a secret. His eyes fixed on a tote bag tucked away towards the front of the room by the door. He got up from his sulking spot and went over to the bag.

Sure it was Hermione's, but maybe there was something in there worth seeing. He pulled it open, and saw to his amazement that there were not only more books, but also small stools, a lamp, a filing cabinet, and a clothes rack with all manner of robes hung on it.

Pulling out his wand he first started with the filing cabinet, sure that if there was some kind of paper trail it would be hidden in this.

"Whatcha got there?" Ron jumped and saw that Charlie and Angelina had moved and now stood right beside him.

"Dunno."

"God, it look like Mary Poppins has some serious competition." Angelina observed.

"Mary who?"

"Never mind."

They all started to pull things from the tote; only leaving the clothing rack behind, figuring that was meant for the bedroom.

Charlie sorted out the furniture and placed it precariously around the room while Angelina began sorting the remaining books found in the tote. Ron decided to tackle the filing cabinet, and when asked what he was doing he suggested that it might have more of the books and such things that Hermione might store in the library.

They each went about their tasks, only speaking to complain or comment on something they had come across. Ron had no luck in the filing cabinet, and was beginning to get peeved that he hadn't been put on study duty with George and Percy instead of this library nonsense when Angelina dropped a book and the sound jolted him out of his frustration.

He turned around to see a book on the floor, but the contents of it seemed to have been spilled. When he looked a bit closer, he noticed that it was not a book at all but some sort of hiding spot. Figuring that that must be what he was looking for, he dashed over to where Angelina sat gathering up the loose items.

When he came near, Angelina tried to push him away but he held his ground and began to sort through the objects. There were letters and a few odd pieces, such as a wine cork with the number one written on the top, a sprig of dried bluebells and a stack of pictures.

Ron began to suspect that this was not Draco's hiding place at all, and his suspicion was confirmed when he looked down to see his own handwriting staring back at him. Angelina stopped trying to pull everything out of Ron's way once she saw the look on his face, and even Charlie came over to see what was causing such a ruckus.

"Maybe you should just put it back," Angelina pleaded.

"Put what… Oh." Charlie said as he finally neared where they were crouched on the floor.

Even though Ron's head screamed at him to just listen to Angelina and put the letters back, his hands acted of their own accord and his eyes couldn't help but read the writing on the worn pages.

_Hermione, ___

_Happy Christmas. I hope you like the bookmark. It isn't much, but it lights up in the dark so you can read your book at night. ___

_Harry and I have been playing wizard chess all break and the pieces that he's borrowed are now refusing to play with him. It's pretty funny watching them cower in the corner. ___

_Hope your Christmas is fun. ___

_Ron ___

_* ___

_Hermione, ___

_Egypt is cool. Fred and George tried to get Percy to go into a cursed tomb, but unfortunately for them mum found out what they were up to. They haven't been able to sit properly for three days. ___

_Ginny's been really quiet, and I think she might have gotten sick in one of the tombs. It had a big stone snake wrapped around a mummy, and mum said she can't go in anymore. So now she is moping. ___

_See you when we get back. ___

_Ron ___

_* ___

_Dear Hermione, ___

_Found this perfume at that posh store in Diagon Alley. ___

_Happy Christmas. ___

_Ron ___

_* ___

_Dear Hermione, ___

_I'm sorry. ___

_Ron ___

_* ___

_Dear Hermione, ___

_I miss you. Two days won't be so bad though, and I will be back before you know it. When I get home we can figure out what to do about you being the MCO for Malfoy. They can't be daft enough to think that he has changed. He should be watched by an Auror, not my girlfriend. ___

_The convention is actually pretty exciting, and George says that we already have offers to bring a shop into America. Don't know who we'd get to run it, but it would be great to go international. ___

_Be home soon. ___

_Love, ___

_Ron_

There were more letters and notes written on everything from napkins to a matchbook. After that last one though, his body started listening to his mind and he threw the lot back into the secret book. His stomach started to convulse and he began to feel the bile rising up his throat.

"You okay?" His brother broke in, and Ron looked up at Charlie as if he was surprised to find he was not alone.

"Yeah," Ron managed to croak out before he got up and rushed from the room to the nearest toilet.

****

**A/N: Sorry that my update wasn't as soon as normal, RL and my new home have been eating up all my time.**** Also the site was giving me some difficulties.**

**So... what do you think? Were the letters good? DId they sound like something Ron would have sent? ****  
****Thanks so much to those of you who are reading and special thanks to those who have been reviewing, I love feedback.****  
****P.S. My beta rocks! Thanks Georgia Weasley!**


	18. Revelations

They completed most of the preparations quickly. Hermione had gone around with Harry and Ginny all day picking out dress robes, finding someone who could marry them on short notice, and filling out the appropriate paperwork. It had been exhausting to say the least.

The wedding was to take place the day after tomorrow and all that was left to do was clear out the garden a bit and set up a few decorations. They didn't want anything fancy, so Ginny said just a few well-placed lanterns would do.

The garden was in pretty good condition considering that no one had tended it for the past several months, and Hermione intended to spend the entirety of the next day eliminating some of the weeds and trimming back some overgrown plants.

Hermione charged Twinkles with hiding all of the purchases they had made earlier, lest someone stumble upon them and figure out what was going on beforehand. Now that all of the Weasleys were here, she supposed it didn't really matter, but Ginny really wanted it to be a surprise, so Hermione kept her end of the bargain and made sure that nothing slipped.

She now sat quite comfortably on one of the chairs they had set up in the library and looked about; noticing that they'd made excellent progress. It wasn't quite done, but it was definitely shaping up. They would probably be able to finish it tomorrow, and for the first time since she had accepted Ginny's proposal of her entire family coming Hermione was glad.

"Tired?" A familiar voice roused her from her observations.

"Yeah, a bit," Hermione rubbed her eyes and looked over at her husband who stood looming in the doorway.

"Twinkles says dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes."

"Mmm. Can't wait." She reclined back into the chair and closed her eyes gently.

He came into the room and stood in front of her chair, pushing a strand of hair that fell across her face. Then, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Ahem." Hermione's eyes fluttered open and looked to the side to see Ron standing slightly hunched near the entrance.

"Mum said to come and get you." His face was pale, and he quickly turned away once he had delivered his message.

Hermione forced herself not to dwell on his odd appearance and instead lifted her hand out for Draco to help her up. They headed into the dining area just off the kitchen, only separated by sliding paper doors, and saw that the rest of the party were already seated at the table.

Hermione noted that Ron positioned himself at the far end with George, Angelina and Charlie hovering near him. Draco took his seat at the head of the table and Hermione sat down next to Ginny, facing Molly and Arthur The rest of the Weasleys all packed in between, and even though several people separated their bodies Hermione could still feel Ron's presence.

Twinkles came out and slowly made her way about the table serving a first course of steaming soup. When the elf got to Ron, Hermione heard a sharp intake of breath and saw him stiffen, but his reaction disappeared just as quickly as it had come, and when she braved a small glance over she noticed that he had tucked into his soup with fervor.

No one else seemed to have noticed anything odd, or if they had, they were doing a spectacular job of pretending. So, Hermione continued eating her meal and focused solely on the bowl in front of her, trying her best not to think about the odd presence at her table.

The rest of the dinner passed in an uneventful blur, and Hermione only focused enough to realize that Ron had gotten up to leave right as she was taking her last bite of the green tea ice cream that Twinkles served. Everyone else at the table followed suit shortly after, and with little preamble the ladies all went to the library while Fleur took Victoire for her evening bath.

The men, although Hermione noted that the group lacked an extremely tall red head, all ambled into the study, even Draco. She was slightly worried. He had never been alone with more than two Weasleys at one time, and now he would be surrounded. He promised to be good though, and she was certain that he would stick to that promise.

"It's really starting to come together," Molly said.

"Thanks to you lot," Hermione quickly responded.

They fell into idle chatter, and Hermione took this opportunity to look thoroughly at the progress and determine exactly what remained to be done. She strolled her fingers along the books already placed alphabetically and by genre in the bookshelf. She then perused the stack of boxes to see what was left to put up. She had just noted the filing cabinet out of her tote and placed neatly along the front wall when her eyes lit on her secret little box sitting atop it.

Her eyes widened and she rushed over to the fake book, grabbing it roughly up. She had completely forgotten that she had brought it, and wondered if anyone figured out what it was and looked inside it.

"You okay, Hermione?" Ginny broke into Hermione's thoughts.

She turned around and plastered a smile on her face. "Yeah, um… I just need a minute; this is supposed to go in a different room."

Hermione didn't look back, or she might have noticed the look of awareness on Angelina's face. She rushed down the hall and through the passageways into her and Draco's little bedroom. Darting her eyes about the room to ensure that she was alone, she quickly opened the box. A groan escaped her lips when she saw its state of disarray.

Maybe everything just shifted during the move. Then she noticed the letter sitting at the top of her little stack was usually the one at the bottom, and that one of the pictures was completely missing. It was one of her favorites; Ron's hand stretched out and held the camera while they kissed lightly and then pulled away grinning.

Don't panic! Don't Panic! She breathed heavily with the box clasped, held tightly against her chest.

"Everything okay?" Draco came into the room and made to take the book from her grasp. Hermione pulled away and clung, if possible, more tightly to it.

"Yes, yes, everything is fine." She moved from the bed and placed the book carefully into the small bookshelf that was sitting in the corner. She turned her face to Draco and gave him a halfhearted smile. "Just a little overwhelming having all these people here."

She noticed that his eyes stayed on the 'book' a moment longer, but then he came around and embraced her in a warm hug. "Yeah, it will be nice when it's just the two of us again."

Hermione didn't say anything, but just let herself relax into his arms, making a genuine effort to quell her fears and ignore the elderly woman's words that kept replaying over and over in her mind.

*****

"And what do you think you're doing?" A slow drawl came from the doorway.

Oh, Bugger!

Ron looked up from the desk drawer to see the cold grey eyes of Draco Malfoy staring down at him.

"Er… just looking for a book I think I left in here."

Draco snorted. "Like you can read Weasel."

Ron stood up to his full height at this, indignation coursing through his veins.

"Why would you think your 'book' was in my desk drawer?" Draco continued, but didn't give Ron a chance to try to respond to his question. "I know what you are looking for, Weasel, and you won't find it. I had nothing to do with your little kidnapping, though I must admit I am not sad that it happened."

Ron scowled and moved towards Draco, standing almost half a foot taller than he did. Through clenched teeth he hissed, "I know you had something to do with it, Ferret, and when I find out what, you will be in Azkaban faster than Harry can catch a snitch."

Draco just scoffed.

"There's a witness, and you and your little curly haired accomplice had better beware because I'm onto you."

There was a minor flash in Draco's eyes before they went ice cold again and, feeling justified, Ron took that moment to shove past the former Slytherin and back to his room. His heart raced as he plopped himself onto his bed and took a few moments to breath in deeply to slow his pulse down.

Then he focused his mind on the interaction, recalling the slight flash in Draco's eyes at the mention of a witness. That proved it, at least in his mind anyway. Draco definitely had something to do with his kidnapping, and he wouldn't rest until he saw justice.

How could Hermione have married such a slimy git? He had pushed all thoughts of her out of his mind all night, but now that he was actually inactive he couldn't control the direction that his thoughts went.

He pulled the picture from his pocket and looked on it. He couldn't remember that day, or any of the days, but they looked so happy. Why did he have to find that stupid box? Why did she hold onto all that stuff? Why couldn't he get her out of his mind? Why did she have to go and marry Malfoy? The last question forced him to shove the picture in the drawer by the bed. He slammed it shut with more force than he had intended and almost broke the lamp that sat atop it.

Ron rolled over onto his side facing away from the drawer and slowly fell into a fitful sleep.

*****

Hermione awoke to see that Draco's side of the bed was empty; he had risen early that morning to get some work done at the factory in town. She stretched her arms out, moved over into the middle of the bed, and languidly sprawled across the mattress. The morning light filtered through her eyelids, and after a moment of lying there, she realized that she would not be able to get back to sleep. Stretching once again, she rose from the bed and dressed in a pair of shabby shorts and t-shirt. She would be tending the garden that day and figured that it might get a bit messy.

Pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail, Hermione exited the bedroom and headed for the kitchen hoping to grab one of Twinkles excellent muffins and set to work. She was surprised to see everyone already awake and in the kitchen, eating and taking orders from Molly about what still needed to be done.

'Good mornings' were shared, and Hermione grabbed a muffin before heading outside to start the day's work. She was using a slow but effective shearing charm on one of the bushes when she heard Ginny's voice call out to her. She turned her head to see Ginny, Harry, and a hesitant Ron following in her wake.

"Hey, thought maybe you could use some help," Ginny said cheerfully.

"Sure, that'd be great."

Each of them took their places around the garden, and she heard various spells cast to trim hedges and prune flowers. The four of them worked diligently through the morning, while Hermione tried to maintain focus on her task rather than the deep voice behind her that kept muttering a weeding jinx slightly wrong.

After five minute of hearing "Dandee-lin-IUM" being shouted, she finally gave into her inner perfectionist and tersely said, "It's Dandee- LIN- ium. The emphasis should be on the 'lin'," and with a swish of her wand she performed the charm perfectly and watched as a rather stubborn weed slowly withered and died.

His eyes slightly narrowed in annoyance at her, but then he shrugged his shoulder and said, "Whatever."

Now it was Hermione's turn to be annoyed. "It's not 'whatever', it's the right way to perform the spell, and if you can't do it right then don't bother doing it all."

"Fine! I won't!" Ron straightened his shoulders and began to stomp out of the garden and into the house.

"Of course. Give up. Why do I ever even bother?" Hermione waved her arm dismissively and turned back towards the grass she was mowing back.

"Yeah, 'cause I'm the one who gave up." He shot back coldly.

Slowly Hermione turned on her heel to meet his steely gaze with one of her own.

"Excuse me?" She took a step closer, but Ron stood his ground. "I do not believe I heard you right. Would you care to repeat yourself?"

"I said, 'Because I'm the one who gave up." He spoke slowly and deliberately, emphasizing each word with care.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" She crossed her arms, but her wand remained tightly in her grasp.

"Merlin, and I thought you were smart. I guess there was more memory altering than we thought."

"Why you little…" She uncrossed her arms and raised her wand so that it was pointing directly at his chest. "You come into my house and dare to insult me?"

"In case you didn't realize this, Mrs. Malfoy, I did not want to come into your house at all. Yet here I am anyway, helping you to set up your happy home, quietly minding my own business, and you have to come over and start acting all high and mighty. I guess you and Draco really are a perfect match." He spat the last bit out as if there was an extremely bad taste in his mouth.

"What the hell is your problem?" Her wand still pointed at his chest, but she threw the other arm up in exasperation.

"You are my problem. You and your kidnapping husband."

"Oh, so we're on about this again. How many times to do I have to tell you that Draco had nothing to do with your kidnapping?" She was angry, really angry, but somewhere in the back of her mind the old woman's voice rang out, "you shouldin' trust him".

"Yes, this again, because no matter what you say, Hermione, I know that Draco had something to do with it."

"Yeah, and how do you know that?" She dropped both hands to her hips.

"Because," his voice took on a triumphant tone, "there's a witness."

Hermione's jaw dropped and she just stood there, mouth agape and arms dangling numbly at her side, staring blankly in disbelief at the tall man in front of her. After a minute, his smirk faltered slightly, and for a moment she thought he was going to say something. Instead, he turned and walked toward the balcony that led to his room.

She stood still for a couple minutes more, her mind working furiously over this new bit of information, when a hand glazed over her shoulder.

"You okay?" It was Ginny.

Hermione fought back the prickling of tears and turned to look at her friend. Harry was standing directly behind Ginny, each of them with a look of concern on their faces.

"Yeah," she wiped a rogue tear from her left eye. "I'm fine."

Ginny went to hug Hermione, who just stood there stiffly in her embrace, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you to do this. I am a selfish, selfish friend."

"No, no, it's okay." Ginny pulled back from the hug and arched an eyebrow at Hermione. Hermione chuckled lightly, "Really, it is okay Gin. I can make it one more day." She shrugged out of Ginny's loose hold and stepped back to look at her two friends. "Well, we really should get back to work; there is still a lot that needs to be done."

She went diligently back to her spot of grass and began to mow over it with a quick severing charm. She worked feverishly, making sure to put all of her focus on making the garden the most beautiful place in the house, not wanting to think any further about what Ron had said.

The sun slowly set behind the red, tile shingles of the roof, and wiping the sweat from her brow she pocketed her wand and made her way into the bathhouse, making sure to knock before entering.

She peeled her dirty and sweaty clothes from her body and slipped into the steaming hot water that she had run into the tub. It was circular and could fit at least five other people comfortably, so Hermione stretched out and tilted her head back, trying to relax and remove all thoughts of the day from her mind.

She couldn't stop them however, and they raced around her brain. The woman's voice constantly repeated itself while Ron's accusations whirled around. She had been so certain just a week ago that Draco had had nothing to do with Ron's disappearance, but now there were tiny cracks in that certainty that refused to be glossed over.

Should she believe Ron or should she believe Draco, her husband? Her moral core kept yelling at her that she should stand by Draco, that he was the man that she married and she could trust him, but a niggling little worm kept inching its way into her mind, negating everything that she wanted to believe.

'There was a witness?' She needed to find out more. She needed to confront Draco, but what good would that do? He would only deny it. Maybe she should talk to Ron. However, she immediately pushed that thought down; there was no way that she could handle talking to him. Not after the row they just had, and not with her unresolved feelings for him still burning within her.

Fifteen minutes later found her clean but not relaxed, so she stepped out of the tub, dripping water on the wood floor and leaving tiny puddles in her wake. She dried off and wrapped herself in a big white terry cloth bathrobe. Grasping her clothes with one hand and her robe shut with the other she headed out of the bathhouse.

She slid the door open and stepped out only to find herself knocked back. The clothes fell from her hand, and she clasped her robe even more tightly after noticing that what threw her back was the looming form of Ron.

Her face, already flushed from the heat of the hot bath, reddened, and she took note that Ron's ears turned a familiar shade of pink.

"Excuse me," he managed to cough.

They each tried to move out of the others way only to find that they had both stepped in the same direction, once again finding the doorway blocked. An awkward dance proceeded until Ron, stepped all the way to the left and directed Hermione past him with his outstretched arm.

Her cheeks crimsoned again as she followed his direction and stepped out of the bathhouse. The door slid shut behind her and she stood there for a second. Her burning curiosity though took hold and immediately she turned back around and slid the door open.

It had only been five seconds passed since the door slid shut behind her, but he had already divested himself of the sweaty shirt that he had been wearing. Her cheeks felt the familiar rush of blood for the millionth time that day and she immediately diverted her gaze. There was some shuffling in his general direction and, to her relief, when she looked up again he had draped one of the robes around his torso. It was all that the robe was able to cover on his tall frame.

She held back a tiny giggle as she took in his too-large form clothed in a pale pink terry cloth robe that looked five sizes too small. The sleeves only went little more than halfway towards his wrists and the hem barely reached his hip. It bunched around his shoulders and wouldn't close completely.

She composed herself after a little bit and gathered every bit of Gryffindor courage that she could muster.

"Is there really a witness?" That question had burned through her brain since their argument. She had wanted to ease into that point, to lay her vulnerability out more gracefully, but her mouth formed the words before her brain was able to process – a first for her.

He nodded his head slightly, but kept his lips pursed.

Her legs weakened as all her fears crashed down upon her tiny frame. She slumped to the wood floor and landed roughly on her knees. She felt the jolt ring through her body as her teeth knocked together upon impact.

In two easy strides, Ron was by her side lifting her up by her armpits. He easily pulled her over towards the bench that ran along the back of the room and delicately set her down.

"I-I don't believe you." She squeaked out, but even she could hear the lack of conviction in her own voice.

He didn't say anything, but simply stood over her as she slumped on the bench staring dejectedly ahead.

She could feel his eyes on her and it sent goose bumps down her spine. She trembled slightly as she felt the heat of his body move in next to her.

"What am I to do?" She asked as she looked up to the ceiling; not directed at Ron so much as voicing her fears.

"Leave him!" His voice was confident, sure that that was the answer.

Hermione shook her head. Draco was her husband! How could she just leave? She needed time; time to think, time to find out if what Ron was saying was actually the truth. Okay, so a witness is pretty good proof, but maybe they are wrong. She wasn't just going to give up at one word from anyone, not even Ron. Her heart tugged slightly, part of her aching to leave Draco and run into the arms of this man at her side. She shook her head again. No, she couldn't leave Draco. Not until she knew the truth.

"I can't." She pushed out in a breathy, defeated voice.

He spun her body around so that they were now facing one another, "Yes, Hermione, you can." His eyes were dark and intense, and it took great effort for her to break away from his stare.

She turned her head and whispered out "I can't" even more pathetically than the last time.

Ron grasped her face in between his large hands, and again made her face him. His touch sent a wave of raw desire through her, and this time she wasn't able to break her eyes away from his. Slowly, his face inched towards hers. Inwardly she struggled against the different parts of herself, one that desperately wanted to feel his lips on hers, the other that wanted to run into the safe comforting arms of her husband, but on the outside she was a motionless statue.

Their lips met and it felt as if time had suddenly sped up and slowed down all at the same time. All at once, she felt a sense of home, a sense of complete happiness, and then just as quickly as that feeling settled upon her another feeling of unease pricked at the back of her mind. It niggled its way into the forefront of her thoughts and wouldn't let itself be repressed. Draco, it whispered. Draco, it said again. Each time it grew louder and louder until… DRACO! She yanked her lips away from Ron's and stood so quickly that she got slightly dizzy at the motion.

Ron's long arms stretched out to bring her back, but his fingertips only grazed the back of her robe as she clutched it tightly to her chest and ran out of the bathhouse.

**A/N: So how much do you love me? Hate me? did you enjoy it? I love all feedback. Thanks to all of you who have been reading and special thanks to those who have been reviewing, you guys are the best!****  
****P.S. my beta, Georgia Weasley, is the best, thank you so much!**


	19. Singing the Blues

_What in the world had he been thinking?_ Ron still sat on the bench in the bathhouse. Over an hour passed since he had so boldly kissed Hermione, and still the same thought kept running through his head. He must have been mad; his brain obviously had malfunctioned, because otherwise there was no excuse for what had happened.

He had kissed Hermione! He sat with his elbows resting on his knees while he wrenched his fingers through his hair. The worst part was that he could still taste her on his lips.

_Grrr!_ Abruptly he stood and began to walk circles around the large tub in the center of the room. _Get a grip, you don't even know her!_ But his entire being longed to kiss her again and again.

_NO! _  
He stopped pacing and stood erect. _No,_ he said to himself again. She was not going to do this to him. He was not going to let her. She was married, and even though he had told her about her husband, even though he had asked her to leave, she had refused. He hated her! His blood boiled and he clenched his fists tightly at his sides.

Determination coursed through him. He would not keep doing this to himself. He would forget Hermione Granger, again.

Exiting the bathhouse, he saw Ginny and Harry kissing sweetly under a tree in the garden. They pulled back from the kiss upon hearing his heavy steps go down the wooden stairs.

"What on earth…?" Ginny gasped between stifled giggles.

Harry turned his head to hide his snicker. At first, Ron had no idea what had amused them both so much, but then he looked down and remembered that he had pulled on that horrible pink bathrobe. He felt his face get hot and quickly removed the offending item of clothing and discarded it on the railing of the bathhouse balcony.

Now shirtless, Ron strode through the garden and entered his own little room, sliding the door closed with as loud a bang as he could manage. He scrambled through his luggage, found a clean set of clothes, and quickly changed. Just as he managed to pull the shirt down he heard a knock at the door.

"What?" He snapped.

Harry's head popped in, slowly followed by the rest of his body.

"You okay mate?"

Ron just grunted and shifted through his luggage some more. After a moment of searching he found a small leather pouch and put it safely into his pocket.

"C'mon." Ron said to a bewildered Harry.

"Wha? Where are we going?"

"Stag night." Ron grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him out of the room and through the house. They ran into Ginny and Charlie on the way out of the front door.

"Hey!" She shouted as Ron stormed passed with Harry in tow. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Out," was all that Ron replied.

He heard her faint _humph _and the sound of heavy footsteps behind him, but when they caught up with them it wasn't Ginny but Charlie that pulled Ron to an abrupt stop in front of the house.

"So, where to little brother?"

"Lee told me of a place where you can…"

"George! Where in the bloody hell did you come from?" Ron turned quickly to see George standing right behind him.

"From in there." He pointed at the house directly behind him and rolled his eyes, "Anyway, as I was saying, this place has these girls that you can…"

"Not likely mate." Harry patted George on the back. "I'm pretty sure Angelina would kill you."

"Yeah, but it'd be worth it." George looked up wistfully.

Charlie took hold of both of George's shoulders and pulled him out of his day dream – or in this case, night dream. "C'mon, let's just go."

Ron started walking ahead; letting the other three drag behind. After fifteen minutes of walking Harry shouted out to him, he had pulled meters ahead of the rest of them.

"You know where you're going?"

Ron stopped and let the rest of them catch up. "Nope."

Once George reached him he began walking again.

They turned the corner and found a street lined with neon signs. Only a block down the road, a sign that read 'Karaoke' in flashing red caught his eye. He didn't know what Karaoke was, but it looked crowded and loud which was exactly what Ron needed right then.

"Hey, does anyone have any muggle money?" Charlie asked right before they crossed the road.

"Yeah, I exchanged some at Gringott's a couple of days before we came over." Harry answered.

"Great!" George clapped him on the back. "Pay you back when we get home." He then sped to catch up to Ron, who had continued toward the bar completely ignoring the exchange.

Upon entering the packed bar someone assaulted Ron's ears horribly, warbling out the words "I. Cant. Get. No-o. Sat-is-fac-tion…"

"Wow!" Ron heard George say from behind him. "This is spectacular!" Ron turned to see his brother fixated on the rather unfortunate sounding Japanese man that currently stood on a small stage in the corner. "We have got to go up there."

Ron turned back around hearing Harry's adamant 'No' resounding behind him. He remained focused on his goal, which was to get as blotto-ed as possible.

"Haw ken I hilp you?" The little man behind the counter asked in his accented English.

"I'll take six shots of the strongest stuff you got."

"Six? There are only four of us." Harry made it to the bar to stand right behind Ron.

Ron didn't answer and just waited as the bartender poured out six clear shots and set them in a row in front of Ron. Immediately Ron took two in succession, not even breaking to breathe in between. The liquid burned slightly as it made its way down his throat, but nothing compared to Ogden's.

"Oi, you couldn't wait?" George bellowed from behind.

Ron didn't even try to look sheepish, and instead just handed out the remaining shots to everyone. "To Harry and Ginny!" Ron said before throwing back his shot with more ease then the first two.

"To Harry and Ginny!" George and Charlie said together as Harry looked at Ron with a questioning glance. Harry took his shot last, and even as he took it he looked at his friend warily out of the corner of his eye.

Ron ignored his stares and turned around to watch the group of girls on stage singing and giggling to some song about 'having fun'. Ron slowly started to feel the alcohol beginning to work; his lips tingled slightly and he kept licking them to make sure that they were still there.

He ordered another round of shots, and when Harry refused to take his Ron just shrugged and swallowed that one down as well.

"Bin rong night?" A voice asked from his right. He turned to see a rather pretty looking girl sitting beside him. She had straight, jet black hair pulled up into a high pony tail, and when she turned to face him Ron noticed a small dimple in her left cheek as she smiled up at him.

"Been a long life." He said dejectedly, but a faint smile began to play on his lips.

"You should sing." She gestured up towards the stage and Ron felt his ears burn slightly pink.

"No, I don't think that'd be a good idea."

"Singing makes you happy," she said matter-of-factly. Her thin fingers went up to his mouth and tried to force his lips into a smile.

The alcohol was definitely kicking in, because he couldn't even feel her fingers as they brushed against him.

"Akiko." The girl said.

"A key what?"

"No." Her ponytail swung from side to side as she shook her head and laughed. "My name is Akiko."

"Oh. Ron. I'm Ron."

"Hi Ron." She gave him a flirtatious smile and held out her hand for him to shake.

"Hi Akiko." He grinned stupidly at her. This was just what he needed, the perfect distraction from the events of the day. She bore no resemblance to Hermione. There was no way he was going to be thinking of her tonight. No, tonight he was going to focus on Akiko and how she wasn't married to a slimy git named Malfoy.

The night wore on and there were three more rounds of shots, all of which Harry graciously declined. George and Charlie got into a heated discussion about Quidditch while Harry tried to remind them to keep their voices down as they were amongst a bunch of muggles. Ron noticed that Akiko's ear perked up at the mention of the word 'quaffle', and he tried to distract her from the debate going on behind him.

Akiko looked at him appraisingly. "You ah a wizard?"

To say that Ron was taken aback would have been the understatement of the decade. He stammered a bit and tried to find his bearings, all the while working out the fact that this girl at least knew about his kind. What were the odds?

Apparently pretty good, according to Akiko. She said that Okinawa's population was over half wizard. Once Ron wrapped his head around it all, he broke into a wide grin. Their conversation grew more animated after that. Ron had to lean his head down slightly so he could hear her over the 'music', but she didn't seem to mind.

Akiko had just been describing the school that she had gone to when Ron heard a familiar voice permeate the room. He looked up to see George on the stage with a stick in his hand. Akiko told him it was a 'mike', which Ron thought was a very stupid name.

"I like big butts and I cannot lie…" Ron's mouth hung open as his brother started to sing/talk into 'mike'. Because George didn't know the tune to the song, he would occasionally slow down and then speed up really fast.

Akiko giggled beside him and Ron chuckled at his brother's tone deaf performance; not to mention the words to the song.

Charlie and Harry were laughing so hard that Ron saw them both brush away tears from their eyes, while George was up on stage dancing around and waving his arms. A small crowd of people hovered near the stage and a couple of younger girls in the front were giggling and singing with him.

It was right at the end of George's song "Little in the middle but she got much back…" that Akiko took Ron by the hand and pulled him towards her. She planted a sweet kiss on his lips. Due to Ron's drunken state he couldn't really feel it, so he pulled her in closer and deepened the kiss. Before he knew it they were groping at each other madly, neither one bothering to come up for air.

He vaguely heard cheering in the background as George came down from the stage, and smarmy comments from Harry, Charlie and George upon seeing Ron 'snogging the little Japanese girl senseless', but Ron didn't pay them any mind.

This kiss would serve to erase the one before it. This kiss would be his salvation from what had happened earlier in the day. He needed this kiss, this girl, this moment because without it he would have to think about what in the world he was doing pining after a married woman that he hardly knew.

*****

"Where are they?" Molly paced the room, pausing to look out of the window every few minutes.

"They've probably just gone for a drink. It's been a long couple of days, they'll be fine. Besides this way when they come home we can give them what for, for not bringing us along." Angelina smiled cheekily and Ginny laughed a little.

Molly was obviously still nervous, but since no one else seemed to be too worried she just settled herself near the window and looked out over the street every few minutes. At 10:30 they all decided to head into bed after Arthur finally dragged Molly away from the window, convincing her that they were adults and would be just fine.

Hermione spent the entire evening avoiding being alone with Draco. Shame, confusion and apprehension all nestled themselves inside her and she didn't know exactly what she was going to do or say when their alone time came. She was still running it over in her mind when she walked to their rooms, Draco trailing behind Ginny and Hermione as they had their little 'girl talk'.

"Hermione, you don't think he's gone and done a runner do you?"

Hermione laughed at the idea and then alleviated her friend's fears with placating words.

"Well then he better be in good shape tomorrow, or I will kill him for ruining our wedding day."

It was that statement that made up Hermione's mind for her. She wouldn't say anything today. She would wait until after the Weasleys left. Hermione would not be responsible for ruining her best friends' wedding day. Besides, she needed more time to think.

So she pretended that everything was fine. She acted out her role and even went so far as to give Draco a good night kiss. When his lips touched hers she inwardly cringed. How could she dare to kiss him after what had happened that day, after what she suspected him of doing? Her mind was torn in two and she had no idea which way was the right way to go.

Sleep eluded her as she lay in bed trying to turn off the running commentary in her head. 10:47. _Should I tell Draco about the kiss? What would he do? Would he leave me? Do I want him to?_ 11:18. _What about what Ron said about the witness? What exactly did he see? Could there have been a mistake?_ 12:34. _How can I suspect my own husband of kidnapping? What kind of person am I? Draco has been so good to me and here I am off kissing other blokes and considering the idea that he committed a terrible crime. What in the world is wrong with me? _1:55.

She heard the muffled sound of footsteps and the attempted whispers of George and Charlie. She heard a loud thud, and then some drunken giggles. _George's voice gets so high when he is drinking._ After a few more minutes all was quiet again, and Hermione felt relieved that Harry had at least come home.

2:16. _The wedding is tomorrow, you can pretend everything is okay for one more day. Then they will all leave and you can find out the truth._ She tossed over onto her other side; the clock constantly taunted her and she couldn't bear to look at it one more moment. _Sleep Hermione! Sleep! _  
She counted backwards from 1000; she tried to list all of the headmasters of Hogwarts in alphabetical order. After getting to Zilby, Mathias (headmaster from 1602-1612, the second shortest reign after Snape) she gave up and turned to look at the clock once more. 5:27.

With care, she crept slowly out of bed and slid into her fuzzy yellow slippers. Grabbing her silk crimson robe from the end of the bed, she snuck onto the balcony. The sun was already rising and the warm shades of yellows and oranges crept into the sky.

A light whirring sound broke through the quiet morning and she turned to see the door of Ron's balcony slide open. Her heart began to thump wildly in her chest, she didn't know what she would do if she saw him right now. Hermione could feel her cheeks warm and the blush spread down from her cheeks to her neck.

Then a small figure crept out of the room holding a pair of shoes in one hand while the other went to close the door behind her. Her black hair hung down loosely, and Hermione couldn't see her face until a hand jutted out of the door and grabbed the girl back into the room. She heard a faint giggle, and the girl reappeared on the balcony.

Hermione stepped back further on her little porch and tried to blend with the shadows, though wearing a crimson colored robe against a dark grey building did nothing to hide her from sight. However, the girl didn't even look in Hermione's direction and flitted quietly across the lawn.

She breathed out, not even realizing that she had been holding her breath. Just as she began to relax slightly and think about what she had just seen, another figure emerged from the room. This was definitely long and lean and male. The sun was shining just behind him and he looked like a black form against the yellow of the sun, but she would know that silhouette anywhere.

Her heart stopped beating and the figure walked out further onto the balcony and out of the bright rays into the shade. He turned slowly, and their eyes met. She wasn't close enough to see what his eyes held, but his body went rigid at the moment their gazes connected.

Tears started to form and she willed her legs to move, to go back inside and forget everything that had happened since yesterday. They both just stood there, neither one breaking the connection. Hermione wasn't even able to gather enough strength to wipe the rogue tear that was making its way down her cheek.

Then she heard a muffled noise come from inside of her room and the spell was broken. Ron disappeared inside and Hermione was left standing there, still unable to look away.

**A/N: So of course I do not own "I Can't get no Satisfaction" that would be the Rolling Stones. I also am unfortunately did not help in any way to create those wonderful lyrics of "Baby Got Back" we all I believe owe Sir Mix-A-Lot a debt of gratitude for that little dittie. And for those of you who caught the slight reference to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" I don't claim any ownership of that either. ******

**I tried very hard to get the Japanese accents in there, I am not really liking what I came out with so any suggestions on writing that in a more phonetic like manner would be greatly appreciated. ******

**So what did you think? Do you hate me? Love me? I appreciate all feedback. ******

**As always thanks to Georgia Weasley my beautiful, wonderful, magnificent beta. You readers and reviewers are completely awesome too! Okay, novel length A/N done.**


	20. Hungover Preparations

"Good morning all." Ginny chirped as she entered the kitchen.

"Oi! Keep it down," George groaned.

"Oh, poor baby. Did someone have a little too much to drink last night?" Angelina purred in a soft voice while caressing George's head. Then she tugged at his hair and pulled him into an upright position.

"Damn it, woman!"

"What?" She shrugged and then went back to eating her plate of eggs.

George slumped back down, resting his head on his folded arms.

Charlie's faint chuckle gave way to a low groan of pain.

"Serves you boys right. Leaving and not telling us where you're off to and then coming home drunk. I have a mind not to help you out." Ginny's mum shook her head at Charlie and then George, but went about the room collecting the ingredients to make her instant hangover removal potion.

Harry entered the kitchen shortly after, any signs of a hangover amazingly absent.

"How is it that you are so cheery? You drank as much as we did." Charlie surveyed.

"Actually I didn't. Ron kept taking my shots for me." Harry grinned and went to serve himself an extra helping of eggs and bacon.

"Ugh, keep that away from me." Charlie moaned.

Harry just chuckled and proceeded to eat his breakfast.

Ginny grabbed a plate for herself and bounded into the seat next to Harry. Slowly the rest of the family ambled into the kitchen to partake of her mum's cooking, all except for Ron.

Hermione sat at the end of the table and hardly spoke. Ginny took in her extra bushy hair, the bags under her eyes, and her pale complexion and knew that Hermione had not slept at all the night before. She worried for her friend and determined that she would make sure to talk to her later that day, maybe while they were getting ready for the wedding. _The Wedding!_

It had almost slipped her mind in her musings over her family. She was getting married today; she would shed the name of Weasley and forever become Mrs. Harry Potter. A blush began to creep up her neck and a tiny fluttering started in her stomach. She grabbed Harry's hand under the table and gave it a small squeeze.

Harry turned to look at her and smiled that beautiful boyish grin of his. He squeezed her hand back and she slowly felt her heart rate slow.

Just then, Ron stumbled in. His hair hung limply into his face, which had a sick green pallor to it. Without looking around, he plopped into the nearest seat, directly across from Hermione, and lay his head down on the table.

Ginny watched as Hermione's face went, if possible, even more ghostly white. It took a few moments, but Hermione eventually collected herself and Ginny felt a little better about focusing on her wedding day instead of her friend and brother.

****

_Make it stop!_ The pounding in his head was excruciating. Even when resting it on the table, he could feel the weight of his head. It was amazing that he even managed to get out of bed that morning, but if he knew anything, he knew his mum would be able to sooth this ache, so he set about plodding to the kitchen.

If he took the time to truly focus on how he felt he probably would have acknowledged that he was still a bit intoxicated, but rather than think about that he tried to keep his eyes closed and his stomach from convulsing.

The kitchen was crowded, and the bustle rang loudly through his brain. He took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled it. After perhaps an hour, or it might have been five minutes in his warped sense of time, his mum dropped off a steaming mug in front of his face. He heard her 'tsk' as she put it down but Ron ignored her, instead gripping the mug like it was his lifeline.

He pulled his head up from the table and braced himself through the pain. He took a long draught of the potion that smelled of mint and waited for it to take effect. With more suddenness than expected, he could feel his head lighten and the pounding in his brain subside. With one more gulp, he finished the drink and noted with relief that he could see straight.

Once his eyes did focus, he noticed that he had sat in front of Hermione. His ears grew warm and he looked pointedly away. All of his emotions rolled back to the forefront of his mind now that it was clear enough to think. _Shite!_ He had kissed Hermione yesterday.

Then he started to remember last night's escapades. They came to him as blurry, detached images. _George singing karaoke…A small Japanese girl sitting next to him… kissing said Japanese girl… a tangle of sweaty arms and legs… Her hot breath on his neck… A sunrise… A pair of chocolate eyes staring at him in disappointment and regret… _  
He shook his head and focused his attention on the breakfast that now sat in front of him. The small house elf had just placed it there. Like the night before, Ron felt a strange chill creep up his spine at the sight of the creature. He shook the odd feeling off and tucked into the waffles with gusto.

****

She had never eaten so quickly in her life. Hermione had to get away from him. Even when she wasn't looking at him, she could feel Ron's presence. It unnerved her and excited her at the same time.

Draco came in brushing a light kiss on her cheek before sitting down next to her. Hermione surreptitiously avoided looking at both Draco and Ron, instead focusing on the other end of the table where Ginny was sitting with Harry.

She smiled at the two of them, both so wrapped up in one another. Ginny rubbed her hand along her belly, as if that would make the baby bump grow while Harry brushed a stray tress from her face. She was so happy for them, but at the same time, she was sad for herself. They had no question about whom they should be with unlike Hermione, who was more confused than ever.

Draco's arm brushed against her own, and she couldn't deny the tiny part of her that longed for his arms to wrap around her, protecting her from herself. Then there was the man sitting across from her who made her tingle all over. How was she supposed to choose? She inwardly slapped herself. She was not supposed to choose. She had already chosen. She was married, and unless there was irrefutable proof that Draco had kidnapped Ron, she would not go back on her vows.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat from the other end of the table and Hermione looked over to see Harry now standing.

"Ginny and I have a bit of a surprise for you all. If you would please go and change into more formal attire we will meet you in the garden at 11." Harry then helped Ginny to her feet and they both left the room.

The buzz in the room increased tenfold as the Weasleys tried to guess what could possibly be going on. Charlie, Bill and George seemed to all be in agreement about their thoughts, while Percy and Audrey were chatting with Fleur and trying to figure out exactly how formal they should now be getting.

"I wish I had known before we left. I left my favorite dress robes at home." Audrey said to Fleur while Percy just nodded his head in agreement.  
Molly sat in her seat in silence, and Hermione had a slight fear of what she might be thinking. Mrs. Weasley lived for her children, and nobody doubted that she would be upset at being denied the pleasure of planning her only daughter's wedding day. If she figured it out early, would she do anything to stop it?

Victoire, who was sitting on Angelina's lap, asked, "Can I weyah my lellow?"

Arthur was listening to everyone while Ron, Draco and Hermione all stayed quiet trying to hide their knowing smiles. Draco put his arm around her shoulder in a lazy manner, and without looking up she could sense Ron stiffen in front of her.

Hermione slumped out of his embrace, playing off the gesture by gathering his dirty dishes on top of her own and bringing them to the sink.

Draco came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and nuzzled his face into her neck.

"I'd better go help Ginny get ready." Hermione whispered to him as she once again dodged his embraces.

Draco clutched her arm and pulled her to face him. He stared searchingly into her eyes. After a moment, he just nodded and let her go.

She hurried out to the kitchen and practically ran to her room. Gathering the dress robes that they had purchased the other day, Hermione went over to Ginny and Harry's room. She knocked quietly on the frame and slid the door open.

"Hey, thought I would come and make myself useful." Hermione said as she entered the room.

Ginny rushed over to Hermione and flung herself at her, hugging her tightly. "I can't believe I'm getting married today!" She squealed into Hermione's ear. Ginny broke the hug and then went over to Harry. Shoving him from behind, Ginny shooed him out of the open door. "Now get out, and no peaking until the wedding." She gave him a saucy smirk and a wink, sliding the door shut behind her.

Turning to Hermione she said, "Now, let's make me a bride!"

****

"Whatcha doing in here, mate?" Ron entered his bedroom to find Harry standing in front of the mirror holding up a set of charcoal grey dress robes.

"Got kicked out," he shrugged, and went back to looking over his reflection.

Ron dropped onto his bed, laid back, and stared up at the ceiling. "So, it's the big day."

"Yeah."

"Nervous?"

"If I say yes, are you going to punch me?"

Ron grinned. "Maybe."

"Then no, I am not nervous."

They both chuckled, then Ron let out a sigh.

"You nervous?" Harry asked.

"Why would _I_ be nervous? I am not about to get married, let alone about to become a dad."

"I dunno, just figured with seeing Hermione all the time lately…"

Ron sat up stiffly. "Why would I be nervous about Hermione?" He asked, though his voice sounded hollow, even to himself.

"No reason." Harry turned away from the mirror and dropped the robes to his side. "If you were, though, it'd be understandable."

"Yeah well, I'm not."

"Okay," Harry shrugged, looked at Ron a little longer, and then started removing the robes from the hanger.

Ron lay back on the bed and closed his eyes, letting forbidden thoughts of his shared kiss with Hermione enter his head. It was amazing how, even after spending the night with someone else, he was still able to feel Hermione's lips on his, still able to taste her in his mouth, still able to smell the scent of bluebells.

There was loud bang as the sliding door to Ron's bedroom opened. Ron peeked from under his closed lids to see George, Charlie, Bill and Percy all standing in the doorway.

"So what's going on?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, why all this secrecy?" Charlie chimed in. The four brothers sauntered into the room and spread out, each taking a point position surrounding Harry.

"Whatcha got planned with our baby sister, eh?" George leered in a mock-American-tough-guy accent.

"I am not a big fan of surprises." Percy piped up.

Ron looked over to Harry and saw a small grimace. He pulled at his collar lightly and then looked over to Ron, as if he would help.

"Yeah Harry, what do you have planned with my baby sister?" Ron added, though his voice was less menacing and there was a distinct grin on his face.

"Thanks, Ron."

"Sure thing." Ron stood up and took his place in the small circle that now surrounded his best friend.

"Er… Well…"

"Spit it out already, we only have 'til eleven." George looked at his wrist, where Harry noticed a distinctive lack of a watch.

"We'resortagettingmarriedtoday," Harry blurted quickly and then winced.

"What was that?" Charlie held his hand to his ear, "I didn't hear you right? Did you just say that you and Ginny were _sorta _getting married today?"

Bill pounded his fist into his hand. "That's what it sounded like to me."

"Come, c'mon guys, you-you knew we were engaged." Harry backed up towards the mirror hanging on the wall.

"Well are you, or are you not, marrying our sister today?" Percy's no nonsense tone broke free.

"Erm… Yes?" It came out as a question.

The room went silent and Ron saw Harry holding his breath and bracing himself.

"Damn right you are!" George patted Harry a little roughly on the back while everyone else broke out in grins.

"Just takin' a piss Harry, no need to wee yourself." Charlie chortled.

"Ha ha, guys. Really funny."

"We thought so." Bill clapped Harry none too lightly on the shoulder, and then they all proceeded back to their respective rooms to get ready for the day's events.

"I hate when they do that!"

"Do what?" Ron asked.

"Gang up on me like that. I can never tell if they're really joking or not."

"They're not." Ron chuckled through an ear-splitting smile.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

**A/N: Well I promise that the next chapter will be more action and maybe I will even get to the actual wedding. It is amazing how long three days can stretch out. So what did you think? I love feedback, so please do tell. **  
**Thanks of course goes to my wonderful beta Georgia Weasley who, even though she is so busy, still managed to beta this for me.******

And thanks goes to all of you readers and reviewers. You guys are the best!

**Especially since you have had to wait for me to get this up… Sorry, RL is taking its toll. **


	21. The Wedding

"You ready?" Hermione asked as she placed the last baby's breath in her friend's ginger locks.

Ginny turned her head to the right and then the left, trying to account for all of the different angles. "As I'll ever be," she sighed.

"You look gorgeous. His eyes will pop right out of his head."

"You think?" She twirled around and took in the whole picture once more. "Yep, they will!" Ginny answered her own question.

She wore simple robes of off-white that fit snug up top and flowed out towards the end. She'd swept her hair back, pinning up curls in the back with baby's breath accents. However, the glow that exuded from her every pore truly made her look spectacular

"C'mon, time to get married." Ginny flushed and Hermione pulled her lightly by the arm and away from the mirror.

They entered the garden from the balcony and saw the rest of the Weaselys, minus Ron, gathered there along with Draco and an older gentleman with silver hair. His robes were navy blue and took on the cut of traditional Japanese attire. The only people missing were Ron and Harry.

Hermione watched as Ginny looked around nervously, obviously trying to locate Harry's raven hair amongst the sea of red.

"Don't worry, he's coming." Hermione gripped her friend's hand tightly and gave it a small squeeze.

"I know," Ginny answered, but stared decidedly at Ron's balcony.

"What is this all about Genvra?" Both girls jumped slightly at Molly's quiet approach. Mrs. Weasley had her hands on her hips, crinkling the fabric of her robes.

"You'll see mum," Ginny said as she stepped back and avoided her mother's gaze.

Surprisingly, Mrs. Weasely only uttered a slight "Humph", before returning to stand by her husband.

They waited, and then waited some more. Ginny began to get nervous, and was wringing at her dress. Hermione had to smack her hand down three times before Ginny took to pacing.

"What could be taking him so long? I mean he's a bloke, for Merlin's sake."

"Do you want me to go see?" Hermione asked Ginny. "I'm sure it's nothing. I'll just go and pop my head in…" Hermione didn't wait for Ginny to answer and went over to Ron's room. She slid the door open to see a sight that would keep her laughing for years to come.

Ron straddled Harry on the bed. Hermione couldn't see anything but Harry's feet pumping wildly. "Almost there, mate."

Hermione gasped. Ron stopped moving and turned his head around slowly, his face changing into an expression of shock. Harry's legs continued to flail around violently.

"Would you get it off already?" Hermione heard Harry choke out from underneath Ron.

Flustered, she turned around and made for a quick exit.

"Wait, no!" Ron jumped off Harry and bounded towards her. He gripped her arm and she flinched at his touch.

Immediately he pulled away. "It's not what you think."

Her back stiffened.

"Look." He turned her around and she saw Harry, still on the bed flailing, grabbing at his neck, which had a tie constricting tightly around it. He'd begun turning a very wrong shade of purple as he kicked wildly.

"Oh my goodness!" Hermione shouted and rushed over to Harry, trying with all her might to wrench the offending tie from around his neck, but it wouldn't budge. Frantically patting her robes down she realized she had left her wand in her room, not thinking she would need it in her own garden.

"Wand!" She cried at Ron.

At first, he just looked at her in confusion, but then realization hit and he dashed for the dresser and wrenched open the drawer. He tossed the wand over to Hermione who quickly muttered, "_Finite incantatum_".

Nothing happened. She looked at Harry in horror, as his eyes now seemed to be bugging out of his head. Swishing her wand, she shouted out more incantations, hoping against hope that one of them would wrench Harry free from his noose.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Hermione muttered a quick severing charm that cut the tie in half.

Harry gasped for air and she pushed past Ron to Harry's side to make sure that he was going to be all right. Ron appeared glued to the spot behind her, staring over her shoulder at their best friend who continued to breathe in heavily.

"Water," Harry choked.

Ron remained motionless, and Hermione, noticing a glass on the nightstand, grabbed it and proceeded to fill it with water using Ron's wand.

Harry slowly sat up and gulped down the contents of the proffered glass.

"Better?" She asked him hesitantly.

"Much." He rubbed at his throat and winced. There was a tiny gash from where the severing charm actually cut his skin; the redness around his throat would definitely bruise.

"Good, because Ginny is about to have a nervous breakdown." Hermione gave a strained chuckle.

She turned away from the bed, and in doing so saw the opened drawer of the nightstand. There, sitting all alone against the wooden bottom sat the missing picture of her and Ron. She stared at it, she looked at Ron, and she stared at it again, and then looked at Ron again.

His face grew pale, and he seemed frozen in place. Not knowing what to do, Hermione slammed the drawer shut and walked toward the door.

"Be ready in five Harry. You have a bride waiting." With more determination than she felt, she strutted out of the door and into the garden.

"Well?" Ginny's voice rasped.

Hermione felt so caught up in her thoughts that at first she didn't hear Ginny's question. It seeped into her consciousness twenty seconds later. Hermione looked up to see the watery, questioning eyes of her friend.

"He'll be out in five." When it didn't look like Hermione was going to elaborate, Ginny clutched at both of her arms. "There was a problem with the tie," she said absently.

Just then, the balcony door slid open and Harry, now sporting a turtleneck underneath his dress robes, came out followed by Ron. Ron looked rather pale, and he pointedly avoided looking in her direction.

At their entrance into the garden Ginny gave out a long breath, reminding Hermione that this was their day and she needed to focus on her friends and not her own problems.

"Now, tell us what in the world is going on?" Mrs. Weasley barked.

Ginny grabbed Harry's hand once he reached her side and using the calm voice that one might use to explain something to a child, Ginny said, "Now mum, I know that you were planning on throwing a big wedding for me and Harry…" Molly's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms, causing Ginny to falter slightly, "…b-but that is not what Harry and I want. We brought you all here to celebrate our wedding; our small, family wedding."

"Please Molly," Harry said in a soothing tone, "don't be mad at us. We just wanted to spend this time with family. Just with family." He pulled out his puppy face, and Molly Weasley's harsh demeanor crumbled at the sight of him.

"Oh, I could never be mad at you Harry." She pulled Harry into a warm motherly hug, and Hermione could feel everyone around her relax slightly.

"Now c'mon Molly, you don't want to suffocate the poor boy on his wedding day," Arthur chuckled, pulling Molly off Harry.

Both Ron and Hermione let out a slight chuckle at Mr. Weasley's words. Ron took that moment to look in her direction, and then the laughter stopped.

Draco came up from behind and placed a possessive hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I think Mr. Tamagusuku is ready," he whispered into her ear. She saw Ron clench and unclench his fists, but she focused her thoughts on the wedding and proceeded to gather Harry and Ginny together.

They'd planned a short ceremony, much shorter than that of Bill and Fleur. They all stood, with Hermione to the left of Ginny and Ron to Harry's right. Right as they were about to make their vows, a girl entered the garden.

Hermione couldn't tell her identity right away, but as the girl came closer to their little spot, she immediately recognized the small figure and long hair of the girl that she had seen leaving Ron's room that morning.

"So solly. I fogot someting," she stammered in a heavy Japanese accent. She rushed past the wedding party and strolled into Ron's room as if she were very familiar with it, which Hermione knew to be irritatingly true.

Every eye in the party stayed trained on the door. From their positions, they could hear a scuffling in the room. Then the girl strutted out, a pair of red lace skivvies in her hand. She waved them about in the air as if it were perfectly decent to do such a thing.

"Found dem," she said as she walked by. This time she put out a hand and ran it along the side of Ron's arm as she winked as him. Then she moved on, not looking back to see the shocked faces that she had left in her wake. Every Weasley's face appeared tinged with red. Angelina's jaw couldn't have dropped any lower. Fleur covered Victoire's eyes even after the girl had been gone for a couple of minutes.

The only one who seemed to be perfectly at ease was Draco. Hermione turned to look at him and saw a smirk on his face. _He was enjoying this!_ She squeezed his arm and gave him a look that said 'behave!' His smirk, however, stayed put.

"Ahem." Arthur cleared his throat, which seemed to snap everyone back to the task at hand.

The wedding went relatively smoothly after that. A few devilish grins came from Ginny's brothers, but Hermione could see Molly seething and Ginny wasn't far behind.  
The steel behind Ginny's eyes didn't dissipate until Harry pulled her into the kiss, which immediately distracted her from her irritation.

The entire group continued to stand out in the garden, all waiting for the newlyweds to break apart. A shuffling of feet, a few clearing of throats, and even a shouted "Oi!" from George didn't manage to break the couple apart.

What finally made them break apart was Draco's sarcastic drawl saying, "Save it for the honeymoon Potter, we don't need a preview."

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs, and she delighted in hearing his sharp intake of breath. _Serves him right for being a prat! _  
Harry and Ginny just stared at everyone, goofy grins plastered on their faces, as the old Japanese man pronounced them husband and wife. Molly rushed up to Ginny, and with tears glistening in her eyes, she embraced her only daughter and her new son-in-law.

The rest of the Weaselys gathered around the pair. Hermione stood back with Draco beside her. She felt so disconnected from them. She spent so much of her life with this family as if they were really her own, but in that moment it hit her that they weren't her family. Nothing connected them to her but years of friendship.

She scolded herself for that thought. The Weasleys had always gone out of their way to make her welcome. They had always been there for her when she needed them. It seemed ungrateful for her to think that they didn't look on her as family. She pushed those thoughts aside to examine later.

Twinkles had prepared a sumptuous buffet, and Hermione led everyone to the part of the garden where the food lay spread on a large table. The _Ever Bubbly_ chilled in the ice bucket and Charlie headed straight for it, popping the cork so that it made a shockingly loud sound.

Champagne started to flow and George's voice sang out, "Speech!" At this, the rest of the family repeated the call until Harry stood. His face flushed, he cleared his throat as he wrapped his arm around his new bride.

"To my family! Thanks for coming, especially under false pretenses." There were light chuckles. Harry raised his glass and took a sip.

Light music played in the background, a gentle breeze blew through the garden, and the leaves on the trees fluttered. Everyone mingled around the buffet while George played bartender, passing out interesting concoctions that Hermione didn't dare try. She couldn't help but note that Ron did not partake in the drinking extravaganza that had begun in earnest.

Draco, who also refused anything that George made, sipped on a snifter of _Grandywaithe's Brandy_. He stood silently back, watching as the Weaselys intermingled with one another, occasionally glancing in Hermione's direction. She could feel his eyes watching her in those moments. Hermione had been expertly avoiding him since her kiss with Ron. Though Draco had yet to say anything about it, she knew he had noticed.

It didn't take much resolve not to confront him. Not only had Hermione promised herself that she would not say anything until the Weasleys left, she also dreaded the inevitable act. _It could wait a little bit longer. _

****

"Nice work, little brother." Charlie came up from behind Ron and clapped his hand on Ron's shoulder.

Ron felt his cheeks flush and Charlie's chuckle echoed in his ear.

"I didn't think you had it in you."

"Yeah? And why is that?" Ron turned to face his brother, all embarrassment wiped away by the rush of anger that swept through him.

Charlie put his hands in the air in supplication. "Whoa, hold your broomsticks now. I was just…"

"You were just saying that I am incapable of seducing," his cheeks flushed red again, "anyone?"

"Relax there, Ronniekins. Here, have a drink." He shoved a glass of _Ever Bubbly_ in Ron's face. Ron knocked Charlie's arm away, which caused the proffered drink to spill down Charlie's dress robes.

Ron stomped passed Charlie and headed toward a more secluded side of the garden. He still maintained a good view of the party, but he hid himself quite well. He just needed time to think, not only about his most recent embarrassment, but also about yesterday's debacle as well. What in the world was he doing? He felt so lost, so out of place. Nothing felt normal or natural.

He had been there for twenty minutes or so when he heard the sound of muffled footsteps. Using his index finger Ron pulled at the large leaf that blocked his view of the approaching person. Once he saw the billowing fabric of her cobalt dress robes, he removed his finger and the leaf sprung back into place.

Ron held his breath, hoping that she would not notice him there.

"Hermione." There was no mistaking that cool drawl. She stopped just a few feet short of his hiding spot, and Ron heard another set of heavier footsteps rush to catch up to her.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" Ron clenched his fists at the cold voice directed towards her.

"I-I don't know what you mean," she stuttered.

Ron heard a quiet shuffling, and then Draco's steely voice said, "Look at me! What do you take me for Granger? An idiot? You think I don't know what's got you all upset?"

_He's still calling her Granger? _  
"Draco really, I don't know what you mean." Her voice sounded more firm than the last time.

_I really shouldn't be listening to this. _

"Hermione, do not play me for a fool. You have been distant ever since he got here. Is something going on that I need to know about?" His voice held a note of pleading in it that threw Ron off guard.

"Well let me ask you something, Draco." Her voice sounded completely calm now. "Is there something _I_ need to know about?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know? Like maybe how you know something about Ron's kidnapping."

More shuffling echoed in the small space, and Ron waited anxiously. This was the moment. This was when it would all come out.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I was not involved in Ron's kidnapping?"

God, how he wished he could see Draco's face right now! Instead, Ron stayed quiet and still. Listening, though wrong, would have to do.

"Just because you didn't do it doesn't mean you didn't know about it. I want to know what you know."

There was a long pause, too long for Ron's liking.

"Nothing, Hermione. I didn't know about it, okay! I swear, I didn't know."

"And what about the witness?" _You tell him Hermione! Don't let that rat bastard get away with lying to you. _  
"So, you talked to the Weasel." Draco's voice was pure malice.

"So what if I did. He's my friend."

"Ha! He's no friend. I told you Hermione, I am not an idiot. You think I don't know that you still have feelings for him? You think your little secret box is such a secret? What do you take me for?" There was more shuffling then, "Now, it's your turn to tell the truth. What is going on with you and Weasley?"

Screw Draco! Ron wanted to hear what Hermione had to say. He waited patiently as the seconds ticked by.

Then he heard the faintest sound of a sigh. Light whimpering followed. "W-We…" She paused. "W-We…" a longer pause that included a small sniffle whispered through the bushes to him. "We kissed." Then Ron could hear the heaving sobs coming from her. Instinct begged him to run to her, to take her in his arms and never let her go. He longed to stop her crying and soothe her ache. However, Ron stayed firmly behind his hiding spot, forcing himself not to go.

There was a bit more shuffling and the sobs became muffled. Then Ron heard Draco as he shushed her. He risked a peek, and saw to his despair that she was wrapped in Draco's embrace as he rubbed his hands in soothing circles along her back.

Ron forced the nausea back and carefully tiptoed further into the garden, further away from them. He moved slowly and quietly at first, but when he felt far enough away, he broke into a run, ducking between the fence of their garden and one of the outlaying buildings.

He knocked the back of his head against the wooden fence. _Why?_ He knocked it back again more forcefully. _Why? _Once again, his head struck wood. _Why?_ He knocked it back repeatedly, each time forcefully begging the question,_ "Why?"_

**A/N: So... what'd you think? I know the ending was a bit upbrupt, but I felt that was where this chapter needed to end... There is much more to the Hermione Draco fight that Ron didn't stick around for. :)****  
****I have to give out major thanks to Purpleheart, gnilwork, and dracosgem for helping me with the Ron/Harry tie scene (even though you weren't technically there Gem we were honing in on your spirit)******

**Of course thanks so much to my lovely beta Georgia Weasley, for without her my poor story would be full of comma's and misplaced punctuation galore.****  
****To you wonderful readers and reviewers who make writing this so much more enjoyable. I love the feedback and would love to hear from more of you.******

**Last Part and then I will end this novel length note... I wanted to take a survey and see how many of you were rooting for Ron and how many are rooting for Draco... it won't change the outcome, but I would love to know, so drop me a line. Okay, have a great Sunday!**


	22. Secrets and Truth

Draco pulled back.

"I'm so...so…"

"Shh." He held his finger to his lips. "Did you hear that?"

Hermione could do nothing but shake her head. She used the tips of her index fingers to wipe away the tears under her eyes. Sniffling slightly, she looked up at her husband. He had his ear perked towards the bushes to her right. His platinum hair hung loosely into his face.

"Never mind." His mercurial eyes looked down on her.

She collected herself enough during the time of his paranoia, and she was now able to stare back at him and say in a fairly calm voice, "Draco you're too good to me."

He nodded his head in recognition.

"How can you forgive me for this?" She was questioning, rather than pleading for forgiveness.

"I don't," he replied curtly. "I don't forgive you for this. Now tell me exactly what happened between you and Weasel King."

"That's not his name!"

Draco just stared at her, his faces set in stone.

She took a large breath, inhaling and then exhaling slowly. "We were fighting in the garden yesterday…"

"About?"

"About nothing, it was stupid. We had one of our normal, stupid fights. Then it changed and it wasn't normal, and he…" She wrung her hands.

"And he…" Draco irritatingly prodded on.

"And he said that there was a witness to you kidnapping him." She looked into his eyes, trying to gauge his reaction; there was a brief dilation of his pupils, but no more. "I didn't respond, he left, and I couldn't say anything."

"How exactly does that lead to you two kissing?"

"Well," Hermione stared at her hands, noticing that her thumb nail polish had chipped. "Then I…" She started to say that she had been taking a bath, but figured that that might make him come to even worse conclusions. "I told him later that he was lying, but he looked so serious, and I was shaken, and then he just… it just happened."

"How long?"

"Huh?" She looked up.

"How long was the kiss?"

"I don't know, I didn't time it," she huffed.

"Guess." His voice sounded so cold, so calm, as if he was questioning anyone about anything and not his wife about her infidelity.

"Maybe thirty seconds."

"Tongue?"

Again, Hermione looked at him questioningly.

"Was. There. Tongue?" He said slowly, as if explaining it to a six year old.

"A little." She mumbled sheepishly. "But I stopped it! I swear I pulled away. I left; I haven't talked to him since, Draco."

He stood silently, not even looking down at her any longer. Instead, he continued staring towards the bushes to the right.

"You pulled away." It wasn't a question, but Hermione felt the need to answer it anyway.

"Yes. Yes. I pulled away."

"After thirty seconds."

Hermione didn't respond.

The silence grew so uncomfortable that she could hardly take it any longer. She distracted herself by picking away at her already chipped polish, but there was only so long that she could take the tension that stifled the air.

"Say something, please."

Draco snapped his attention back to her, as if waking from a dream or, in this case, a nightmare.

"I think it would be best…" he paused momentarily to run his fingers through his hair, "…if you went back to England for a while."

"Draco." Her voice came out sounding small, so small.

"I just need time Hermione."

She nodded her head in understanding and watched as he walked away. She stood there, hugging herself as the tears spilled down her face, silently washing her shame away.

****

Besides the rather disgusting and tasteless interruption from Ron's consort of last night, the day was going wonderfully well. She, Ginny Weasley, was married to the man of her dreams, Harry Potter. Her schoolgirl crush appeared pale and insignificant compared to the love that she now bore her husband. _Her Husband! _It was wonderful to think. Hell, it was even better to say.

"Harry is my husband!" She shouted.

Harry grinned at her as his cheeks flushed slightly.

"Have you been sneaking sips of champagne, dear sister?" Charlie came up from behind and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "'Cause they say that can cause brain damage to the baby."

"Yes, and we have you as evidence of that." Ginny shot back with a smirk.

Charlie just laughed and pinched her cheek before walking towards George and his makeshift bar.

Ginny turned to her husband, "I haven't seen Hermione in a while. You think she's okay?"

"I'm sure she's fine. I think I saw her walk off with Draco."

"And Ron...?"

"Probably just avoiding you and your mum." Harry pulled her into him. "Can't say as I blame him, you witches can be pretty scary when you're angry." He pecked her lightly on the cheek and Ginny playfully punched him in the arm, though maybe a little harder than she normally would have.

The newlyweds made their rounds throughout the party, making sure to talk to everyone as well as taking bits of time to themselves. It was just after a short snogging session behind a rather bushy hedge that Ginny overheard George's not so quiet whisper.

"Wonder what's got his knickers in a twist?"

She turned to see Draco stomping towards the front of the house with a scowl on his face.

"When are his knickers not in a twist?" Bill snorted.

"Ah, good point my friend."

If Draco was there, then where was Hermione? Where was Ron? What was going on? Ginny thought about going to look for them, but then nature called and she decided to hold off on the search until after she relieved her ever-full bladder.

She followed Draco, as that was the closest restroom, but his platinum head was not in sight. She turned right, went into the small, closet-like loo, and barely got her dress up and panties down in time.

A surge of relief went through her, and she sat back and relaxed a bit. Then she heard a small, sharp voice say, "You took too rong."

Ginny leaned her head towards the open window next to the toilet.

"I had business to take care of." A familiar voice replied. "You certainly did your job."

"I do two fo wun eef you like." There was a pointed giggle.

"That won't be necessary," the sharp reply echoed.

"Suit yolsef. That wi be fi tousan."

"Yes, yes. I know." There was a slight rustling, and she thought that she heard the woman's voice mumbling something, but she couldn't make it out.

She sat there for a moment trying to figure out exactly what it was she had overheard. There was no question about the man's voice, it was obvious, but who was the woman? A native no doubt, based on her broken English. But who? She collected herself and washed her hands slowly, all the while mulling over the possibilities.

Instead of trying to guess, Ginny decided to look for herself. Removing her shoes, she left the bathroom quietly and headed for the front door. Sneaking a look around a nearby window, she saw a shadow making its way towards the front of the house. She ducked behind a nearby wall, hoping that he would not head in her direction. When she heard the sound of the door opening and closing, she held in her breath. Measured footsteps walked towards her hiding place then, to her relief, they passed and she slowly let her breath escape her lips. Once she felt certain that he had gone she crept towards the front door and rushed to the side of the house that the bathroom window faced. There was no one there.

Dejected, she stood there hoping to see some evidence of the girl's identity, but there was nothing. She turned back towards the house and then stopped. There on the corner of the street was a small, Japanese girl. She recognized her as the same girl that had barged in on her wedding that morning. Why would she still be here? Ginny could surmise only one reason.

She strode over to the girl and with her no-nonsense voice she said, "Tell me everything."

****

Hermione collected herself, wiped the tears from her face and strode confidently towards the party. As she expected, Draco was nowhere to be found. She could make believe that everything was okay a little while longer. No one would miss her husband or think it odd for him to have ducked out on the party.

She couldn't help but notice that Ron was missing as well, and she felt relieved. It would be easier to pretend without him nearby.

"There you are." Harry smiled at her and Hermione couldn't help but smile back.

"Here I am."

"We were getting worried about you."

"Well, no need to worry. Where's the blushing bride?" Hermione looked around but did not see Ginny anywhere.

"Off to the loo, I suspect. She has been in there seven times already today." They both chuckled and then Harry offered her a glass of _Ever Bubbly_, which she gladly accepted. She needed something to calm her nerves.

She swallowed it down in one gulp and reached for another glass. "Whoa, slow down there." Harry lightly pushed Hermione's arm down as she went to take a sip of her new glass.

She smiled at him sheepishly, but then continued to gulp down that glass as well.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

It was such a loaded question, and Hermione knew exactly how she needed to answer it. "Yes, I'm fine. Just been a busy day." Slapping on as convincing a smile as she could muster, she decided to take her leave of her overly observant friend and find someone who would not be as inclined to note her new drinking habit.

She grabbed another glass of champagne and found Victoire Weasley running around Bill's legs. The child wore light yellow dress robes with a matching ribbon in her strawberry blonde hair. The smile on her face warmed Hermione from the inside out, and she suddenly wished that she was a child again. They were so innocent, and their lives so uncomplicated.

Hermione bent down to the little girl's eye level. "What are you playing?"

The girl didn't stop. "Run-ning" she said as she giggled breathlessly and wove under her father's legs.

"How do you play?"

Victoire stopped and looked at Hermione as if she had two heads. Then throwing her hands up in the air as if it were the most obvious thing in the world she said, "You run, silly!"

Hermione laughed and continued to watch as she wove in and out of her father's legs and around other members of her family. She stood back up and took in the proud look on Fleur's face as she watched her daughter giggle and prance.

It struck Hermione how much fun the girl had just running around, and how horrible she herself felt as she was doing the same thing. Running. Always running. From her problems, from herself, from her husband, from Ron.

Eventually she would have to stop; she felt so tired. She dared not go back to her room, afraid that Draco would be in there, but she couldn't stay out here anymore. She couldn't pretend that everything was okay. She couldn't keep running. She needed to rest.

She could feel her head beginning to get a little fuzzy from the champagne, so she decided that maybe she needed to walk a bit clear her mind. Ginny still was nowhere to be seen, along with both Ron and Draco. Hermione doubted if anyone would really miss her presence at this point anyway.

So, around the garden she went. The cool breeze sent goose bumps up and down her arms, but it was refreshing. She picked one of the leaves from a nearby tree and twirled it around between her thumb and forefinger. She watched as it spun around and around. First one way and then the other. She focused so intently on the leaf that she didn't notice the long limbs splayed out before her.

"Oof!" She heard right before she stumbled forward and caught herself with her hands.

"Ouch." She turned her head around and saw to her chagrin that she had tripped over the very legs that she had been hoping to avoid.

Instead of looking at him, she focused her attention onto her now scratched up hands. She rubbed away the dirt and blew lightly on the scrapes.

"You okay?" His voice sent shivers down her spine.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She scrambled to get to her feet but was tangled in her robes and ended up falling back down.

"Here." He placed his hand around her forearm and pulled her lightly up. As soon as she was upright, he removed his hand and Hermione felt its absence regretfully. She kept her eyes down and brushed the dirt from her robes.

"Thank you." She continued to keep her eyes down, focusing them first on robes and then back to her hands.

An awkward silence stretched on endlessly. "So…" She started after not being able to bear it any longer.

"So…" He repeated after her.

"Why aren't you out there celebrating?" She figured that would be a safe subject.

He shrugged. "Why aren't you?"

She shrugged back.

Then they both chuckled lightly. Some of the tension in the air seeped away. Hermione began to walk, and to her surprise, he followed along beside her.

"It's really great about the wedding." Another safe topic she could discuss with him.

He looked over towards the party, "Yeah, it really is."

"They're really good together."

"Mm hmm."

"So…" she said again.

"It's just so weird." He blurted out.

She stopped and turned to look at him. "What is? Harry and Ginny?"

"No," He shook his head. "No, that, well that's wonderful. This," he pointed between himself and Hermione. "This is weird. I don't remember you. I don't remember us." He looked pained. "I've been told that we were best friends; that we were more… but I don't remember any of that." He turned away from her penetrating gaze. "All I know is how I feel when you're near me."

"Ron…" Tears pricked at her eyes. "I'm mar…"

He stomped his foot. "I know! You're married. To Malfoy."

She looked down. Could this day get any more complicated?

"Yes. I am."

"But you feel it, too. You haven't forgotten."

She swallowed and choked back the impending tears. "I do. I can't forget." Then she lifted her eyes to his. "I don't know what to do." Without her permission, the tears began to fall. "You were de-dead." She sobbed. "You were gone, and now you're here. And I'm married. What am I supposed to do?" She heaved.

He moved to put his arms around her, but she stepped back shaking her head, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Please don't." She begged.

"Do you love him?" He asked.

She looked down and nodded her head.

"And do-do you love me?"

She stiffened and lifted her head up so that their eyes met. She could see that his were glassy, and she could only imagine what her own looked like. Slowly she nodded, not breaking eye contact.

They stood there staring at one another, neither taking notice of how much time passed.

Then, Ron broke the spell and turned away. "I guess it's a good thing I can't remember, then."

She didn't know what to say to that, so she stayed silent instead.

"Well, I guess we better head back to the party." He put a wan smile onto his face. "Don't want miss out on anymore of the fun."

"Yeah," Hermione half-heartedly agreed. "Better get back." She watched as he walked ahead, and then with heavy steps she followed behind.

**A/N: First I would like to thank everyone so much for reviewing last chapter, I got a wonderful response and it was so interesting to read all the different preferences.******

**Second I want to thank my lovely beta Georgia Weasley for making my punctiation and grammar better than I or Microsoft Word ever could.******

**Third I had some trouble with the Ginny scene because like an idiot I wrote it all initially with her getting drunk. Obviously I had lost my mind because I forgot that she was pregnant. I really liked the drunk scene though, oh well.******

**Last I want to ask you what you all think? How was the rest of their fight? What do you think that whole Japanese Girl scene was about? Could you understand the accent? What about Hermione's conversation with Ron? I love hearing from all of you, so let me know, even if you hated it.**


	23. Interlude

So she loved him too, so what? It didn't mean anything. It didn't matter in the whole scheme of things. She was married. Why should he care anyway? As far as he was concerned, all they shared was a kiss and a couple of extremely awkward conversations. So what if they had dated in the past? Did it really matter if he couldn't remember?

He just needed to let her be. There was no point in pining over something that you couldn't even remember ever having, was there? _No!_ So, with that determination in his mind he set out to forget the past few weeks and focus on building a future for himself. A future without Hermione Malfoy.

It surprised Ron that he was even able to ask her to pass a glass of champagne in his direction. He didn't allow himself to notice the dejected look that graced her face at his casual manner. This was the beginning of a new life and he would not let the past weigh him down.

His resolve almost dissolved at the point in which he saw Draco come from the main house and pass into the garden. A scowl formed on his lips at the sight of the ferret strolling down the back steps. He expected to watch a loving scene between the git and his wife, but the icy glare that Draco shot in her direction and the way that she was unable to meet her husband's eyes amazed him.

Hadn't Ron just seen the stupid prat forgive her for their little interlude? He continued to watch as Malfoy made his way to what Ron knew to be their personal balcony and into their bedroom. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Hermione once the door to her bedroom had closed and saw the tears that she tried to hide.

He feared that was the moment that shook his determination. He couldn't bear to see her cry, not over the prat that was Draco Malfoy. No matter what anyone said to him, he was convinced that he had a role to play in Ron's kidnapping. Malfoy could assure Hermione time and time again, but Ron knew that something was off.

Just because he didn't want to see her upset did not mean that he would go and help her. His presence would only cause her more pain, of that he was certain. Ron would wait, he would wait until he had proof of his suspicions and then he would tell her. Then he would put it in her hands, that was when she could decide if her love for Draco would be able to withstand the ferret's guilt. Until that time Ron would be her friend. They had been that before, and he was sure that they could do so again. _Friendship was okay, right? He could do that, couldn't he?_ Ron stiffened his resolve.  
Yes, he most certainly could handle being just her friend.

So what if she smelled like blue bells. So what if he felt electricfied just being near her. Those feelings would fade in time, and he would eventually get used to her intoxicating scent. Besides, if he was ever going to be able to convince her that her husband was the scum of the earth, then he would need a more recent foundation to build that trust on. So instead of approaching Hermione himself he sent Harry to take care of her. It would be too soon to do so himself, but eventually he would be able to be there for her.

****

"You okay?"

She wiped a thumb underneath her eye before turning around. "Yes, of course I am." She said with false cheer.

"Uh-huh. You're not a very good liar you know."

"Oh, Harry!" She moaned and swooped in to hug him fiercely. She was able to stem the flow of tears, but hugged him with all her might none the less. "Everything is so screwed up."

He rubbed her back and let her sniffle into his chest.

"I'm sure it isn't that bad."

Hermione broke from his embrace and looked up at him incredulously. "Not that bad? It's terrible! I have really messed things up."

"You could never mess anything up."

Her lip quivered and almost turned upwards to smile, but then the weight of her predicament came crashing down on her and she frowned instead.

"You would be amazed." She mumbled more to herself.

"Well, then why don't you tell me about it?" Harry led her away towards Percy and Audrey's balcony and sat down on the wooden steps, dragging Hermione down beside him.

"Harry, this is your wedding day. You should be celebrating, not listening to me moan over my stupidity." She looked around at the gathered party and noticed that she couldn't see the white robes of the bride anywhere. "Where is your blushing bride  
anyway?"

He shrugged, "Dunno, haven't seen her for a while."

Hermione gasped, "Harry, you don't think anything bad has happened do you?"

"Nah, she said that she was getting sleepy earlier, she probably went to take a nap. It wouldn't be the first time she abandoned me for a slight doze."

"On her wedding day?"

"She fell asleep the other day while we were…" he blushed, "…you know."

Hermione just laughed until Harry punched her lightly on the shoulder, then they both began to chuckle after that.

"Besides, I'd know if anything were wrong." Harry played with the shiny platinum ring on his left hand. "I had them charmed, if anything bad were going on it would glow red."

Hermione could only nod in appreciation at his forethought. She couldn't say she was surprised, more and more people were getting that particular charm placed on items for their loved ones after the war. Even though there had been peace for some time now there had been a lesson learned, and Harry of course played it safest of all.

"So tell me, what's going on?"

She sighed, "Well you know most of it. Ron came back." Her big brown eyes looked at him, hoping that he wouldn't require much more explanation than that. He nodded, but motioned for her continue.

"It's just been hard, reconciling my feelings that I had for him and the ones that I have now for Draco. I have been so confused. I love Draco so much; he has really been there for me."

"But…"

She sighed again,"…but I can't help what I feel for Ron. He was my best friend and my first love, and it broke me when I lost him. Now he's back…" Her voice became so small and then quieted completely.

"Well these thoughts seem natural enough Hermione. I don't know why that means that you screwed anything up." He patted her back for encouragement, but it only made her feel worse.

"Because I kissed Ron, and he has me doubting my husband, and that has me doubting myself. What kind of person am I that I don't trust the man that I married? What kind of person kisses someone else? Now Draco won't speak to me, and to top it all off I told Ron that I loved him too." She began to cry again, this time into her hands. Through muffled sobs she mumbled, "I know that you never liked Draco, but he doesn't deserve this."

"I can't deny that kissing Ron was probably not such a good idea."

She looked up from her tear-filled hands with a disbelieving stare.

"Okay so it was a really horrible idea, but you can't change it now. All you can do is hope to rectify what you have done and reconcile your feelings for Ron. It's been a long time since you two were actually together, and though I am sure Ginny would absolutely kill me for saying this, maybe all you are feeling is residue from your former relationship. Either way, you need to find out if you want to move forward with Draco? You can't just hope that he will stick around while you sort out if you love Ron or not."

"Ginny was right, you really have become too wise."

Harry laughed. "Yes, well when I am the voice of reason in our group then we know that things are pretty bad."

****

She woke with a start, something was shuffling nearby. She jolted up to see the house elf standing near the head of the couch with a pillow in hand.

"I is so sorry miss. I is trying to make you more comfortable." The docile creature placed the pillow down by the foot and slowly backed away with a small bow.

"It's fine. How long have I been sleeping?"

"I don't know miss. I is just finding you."

"What time is it?" Ginny looked around the room for a clock, but the shadows outside the window indicated that it was well into the evening. "Never mind."

She had just gone into the library to think over what Akiko had told her. She hadn't intended on falling asleep. It figured though. Lately she found that exhaustion would just creep up on her. She stood up and had to grip onto the corner of the couch to steady herself. The rush of blood sent spots behind her eyes and for a moment, everything went black. As quickly as the moment came it went and she righted herself.  
"Is miss all right?" The elf asked.

"Yes, just a bit of a head rush, nothing to worry about. Thank you for waking me."

The elf looked sheepishly at her and then popped out of the room.

Ginny followed the little creatures lead and left the room herself. When she stepped into the garden, a pair of soft gentle lips immediately attacked her. She fell into the kiss easily, glorying in the familiar taste of Harry.

With their lips still pressed against each other he managed to ask, "Where have you been?"

"Fell asleep."

He laughed against her mouth and then pulled away. She loved the way that his emerald eyes danced when he laughed.

"I told Hermione not to worry." He was smiling so brightly at her, but just as he mentioned their friend's name, everything came back to Ginny in a snap.

"Hermione!" Ginny practically shouted, taking Harry by surprise. She looked around  
frantically for her. "Where is she?"

"She went to bed a couple of minutes ago. Why?" His forehead crinkled in that cute way that it did whenever he was worried about her.

Ginny pulled him aside and told him everything that she had discovered from the little tart that had interrupted their wedding. Harry's face went from worry, to shock and then to anger in a flash. It took all of Ginny's efforts to ensure that he did not do anything rash.

She convinced him that it would be best if she just spoke to Hermione first, then Harry could display his anger in any way he saw fit. Begrudgingly he agreed, and they determined to speak with Hermione the next morning before leaving for their two-week honeymoon to tour the rest of Japan.

****

Her talk with Harry had really helped. She was no closer to figuring herself out, but finally being able to get everything out there had felt cleansing. They sat on the porch a little longer in comfortable silence. When Draco emerged from their bedroom, she noted that he was now wearing his traveling cloak. Evidently, he did not plan to stay the night. Part of her was relieved, she didn't know if she could take another confrontation today. Another part of her regretted his going, wanting to just curl up into his arms and drift off to sleep.

At the thought of sleep she yawned and realized how tired she actually was.

"Well I think I am going to head off to bed." She stretched out and then stood, holding her hand out to help Harry get up.

"Everything will work out, just get some rest." He hugged her and she felt him watch as she crossed the yard and stepped onto her own little porch. Glancing back, she gave him a weak smile, which he returned more reassuringly.

Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep, flashes of red and then blond swept through her mind, and if anyone had been watching they would have noted that her eyes twitched manically beneath her closed lids. She was alone, however, so no one was there to see her shiver slightly and curl even more into herself, or note that she would whimper every so often. Hermione was all alone, and she felt it more deeply than she ever had before.

**

Morning came, and with it all the same doubts and questions that had plagued her. Her fingers trailed along the cold side of the bed, and she sighed as her mind remembered that she had slept alone. Though she knew that she had gotten some rest, her body didn't seem to notice. She was sluggish in her movements and her mouth felt sticky and warm

She padded lightly across the room and looked into the mirror that hung above her dresser. She pulled at her eyes, noting the bags and dark circles that seemed to make her face look almost skeletal. Pushing off from the dresser, she went to the closet and donned a muggle ensemble that would make her husband cringe.

She was going to be a tourist today. Hermione had been in Japan for a week and had yet to see anything of Okinawa, and since she would now be heading back home she figured she would take this day to tour around the island and see what she could.  
It would be good to get off on her own, no red heads to remind her of her past, and no calm soothing voices to remind her of her present. Just Hermione, alone with her thoughts. She was thankful to note that no one seemed to be awake just yet.

Not wanting to completely abandon her house guests, she set the task to Twinkles to say her regrets that she couldn't be there to see them off, and let them know that she would be in touch. No one knew that she would be coming back to England shortly; Hermione was at least grateful for that much. No one would be there to hound her, and she could take the next few days to figure herself out, maybe even get some work done.

Hopefully by then she would be able to tell Draco what she wanted, and if that answer was him, he would be able to forgive her. Only time would tell.

****

"Did Hermione eat already?" Ginny walked into the kitchen and noted that she couldn't spot the familiar bushy coif.

"Not that I know of, dear." Her mum came and put a plate of pancakes down in front of Bill, "I haven't seen her all morning and I have been here since seven."

Ginny sighed and sat down next to Audrey, waiting for her mum to make her a plate as well.

"Missus Hermione has gone out for the day. She is saying that she is sorry she cannot say good-bye. She will be writing to you soon." The little elf was in the corner of the kitchen flipping the pancakes that Ginny's mum was serving to the family.

"She left?"

The elf just nodded and continued to flip.

Ginny began to worry her lip until Harry ran a soothing thumb along her mouth. He leaned over and whispered into her ear.

"It's okay Gin. We'll come back tomorrow on our way to Tokishiki."

Ginny nodded, and as soon as her mum placed the pancakes down she dove right in. Everything would be fine. They would talk to Hermione tomorrow. Nothing to worry about.

****

The day had not been as distracting as she had hoped. The sites were beautiful, but even the ruins of the castle held no interest for Hermione. With a heavy heart, she made her way back to their compound, dreading the task of packing again.

When she got to her bedroom, she noted that there was a small suitcase already on the bed. She opened it up so see that a lot of clothing and books were already shoved inside, shrunken down to fit into the small case. She closed the suitcase back up and looked around the room.

On the dresser, there was an envelope with her name scrolled across in sharp black handwriting. She opened it with shaky hands, fearful of what her eyes would find.

_Hermione, ___

_I have asked Twinkles to pack a bag for you. I have gone to Osaka on business and will be returning home around eleven. Feel free to take the elf along with you back to England as I don't expect to be home often enough to have need of her. I will write you again once I have had time to think things over. ___

_Draco_

It was short and to the point. She was to be gone before he came home and would just have to wait until he was ready to speak to her again. Not taking the time to see if anything was missing, Hermione gathered up the small case and called for the elf.  
She felt as if the walls were slowly closing in on her, and Hermione couldn't bear to be there any longer. She led the elf to the fireplace where they both left in a flash of green flames to their home in England.

The relief Hermione had been hoping to feel upon her return did not come, and she realized that she would probably get no relief for a long time. Not until she had worked everything out and knew exactly where she stood. With a resigned sigh, she went into her little sitting room and sat on the couch, using the time to map out the rest of her book instead of focusing on the real problem at hand. She would address that another day, not today. No, she was much too tired today.

**A/N: Thanks to all of you for continuing. Sorry my updating hasn't been as consistent as it was, my father in law has been in the hospital, and that along with trying to get my new home in order caused my updating to fall by the wayside. **

**I know this was more of a filler chapter (hence the title of the chapter) hope you still liked it, if so let me know, if not… well I wouldn't mind knowing that either. **


	24. To the Ministry and Beyond

Ron noticed that Draco did not come back the night before. He also took note that he was nowhere to be seen that morning either. He felt relief first; he did not want to have to see the ferret after Hermione's confession the night before. Ron had no idea what her reaction might be, and he didn't want a broken nose at the moment. Ron also noted that it would be a good opportunity to look around a bit more and see if maybe he couldn't find anything in Draco's stuff.

They were supposed to all return that day. Ginny and Harry had left shortly after breakfast to go on their honeymoon. The rest of his family queued up in front of the fireplace an hour after the newlywed's departure.

"I think I might see if Hermione comes home." Ron said absently to George in an effort to hang back a bit and snoop around. No one seemed to really notice or care. So, Ron saw his family off before taking a casual stroll around the house.

To his chagrin, he noted that the house elf seemed to be nearby whenever he wanted to look into a particular drawer or through a certain file that he would stumble across in his ambling. There was something weird about the elf that Ron couldn't quite place his finger on. Needless to say, that his wanderings were fruitless as there was no way he would be able to discover any information with that creature lurking about after him.

Part of him hoped that Hermione would come home before he left. It would be quite some time before he would be able to see her again, but it was not to be. There was no sign of her by the time that Ron had resigned himself to his lack of discoveries. With a heavy heart, he went through the international floo and back to George's flat where he fell onto the couch and drifted off to sleep with visions of Hermione in his head.

****

She spent the next couple of weeks focused on her book. There was only one chapter left and she was determined to get it to her editor by the end of that week. Hermione had been so immersed in completing her reference that she did not bother to step out of the house once the entire time. A stack of post sat on a table in their foyer. She hadn't even bothered to sift through once she noted that none of the letters were from Draco.

She knew that she was avoiding again, not paying attention to the real problem, but the work soothed her and tired her out enough that she was even able to get a few hours of sleep every night.

Twinkles made sure that she ate, and once the elf even had to suggest that Hermione bathe. She was just finishing off a paragraph when there was a loud banging on the front door that startled her so much that she spilled ink all over the page she had been working on. No one knew that she was home and she was completely baffled about who it could possibly be.

She was still in her pajamas even though it was after one in the afternoon, so she decided to head up to her room to change while Twinkles answered the door. She had just pulled her top off when someone barged into her bedroom without bothering to knock.

Hermione clutched her shirt to her chest and turned to see Ginny storming into her room.

"Ginny! What are you doing here?"

"You closed your floo. I have been trying to reach you for the past two weeks!" The red head shuffled into the room and paced back and forth in front of Hermione. "If it weren't for Harry I would have cut our honeymoon short. Why didn't you respond to any of my letters?" The witch seemed more than just frazzled and it made Hermione nervous.

"What happened? What's wrong? How did you know I was here?"

She turned to face Hermione. "Draco told me when I went back to your place. Why did you leave? What's going on Hermione?"

"I asked you first." Hermione said as she pulled her shirt back over her head. "Why have you been trying to reach me while you were supposed to be busy on your honeymoon?"

Ginny ran her hand through her hair and took a seat on the end of Hermione's bed.  
"Look I am not exactly sure how to say this, so I am just going to come out with it."

Hermione nodded in a gesture for Ginny to continue.

"Draco paid that tart to sleep with Ron and then to interrupt our wedding." Ginny looked away from Hermione as she spoke.

"Draco did wha-?"

"He paid that Japanese girl to sleep with Ron," Ginny repeated in a more persistent tone.

"How do you know this?" It was unbelievable. Why would Draco do such a thing? It didn't make any sense.

"Because when I was in the bathroom after the ceremony I heard them speaking. I went out to see who Draco had been talking to I saw that girl. She told me everything."

Hermione took a seat at the edge of the bed next to Ginny. She was quiet for a moment, processing the information that Ginny had given her. "What else did she say?" Hermione finally asked.

"Just that Draco had approached her when he first came into town. He said that he had a 'friend' who really needed her 'services' and that he would let her know when and where to meet him when his 'friend' came in town. She got an owl from him the night that all the boys went out and got smashed that told her where to go and who to look for. It's not like it would be hard to spot a six foot seven red head in a crowd of Japanese people."

Ginny grimaced before continuing, "She said that he had told her to seduce him and make sure to leave her panties behind. Then she was to come back and make a big production of getting them from his room." Hermione noted that Ginny had obviously finished her tale by the way she her shoulders slouched and her eyes slipped away from Hermione's face.

"Why would he do that?" Hermione asked more to herself. "Why would he want to ruin your wedding?"

"I actually don't think he did. We were running behind because of Harry's tie fiasco remember?"

Hermione nodded, processing everything that Ginny had told her. It was almost unbelievable; the problem was the 'almost' part. Hermione was beginning to doubt Draco even more, and it was starting to really weigh on her nerves.

If she didn't know better she would have thought it was a form of revenge, but for what? Draco didn't know about the kiss at that time, and the only person that it would hurt would be Ron. No, not just Ron, it had hurt her as well. Hermione remembered the feeling of seeing that girl sneaking out of Ron's room that morning; the ache that it caused to watch Ron be with someone else, even if she knew how selfish she was.

Had Draco done it to hurt her? It was just too cruel for her to believe him capable of such a thing. Then Hermione remembered how Draco had practically forced all of the Weasleys to stay at their home and the fear that she felt on that day, wondering exactly what he was up to.

"I'm so sorry Hermione." Ginny stroked Hermione on the shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Harry is furious. It took all my feminine wiles for him not to beat Draco to a bloody pulp that night. I don't know what your husband is playing at, but I thought you should know."

"Thank you," was all the response that Hermione could manage. She stood up and Ginny did the same. After giving her friend a quick hug she led her out of the bedroom and to the front door.

"I really am sorry Hermione." The red head said before Hermione lightly shut the door on her friend.

Hermione then took to pacing around her back parlor. She continued to clench and unclench her fists in succession. At first all she felt was denial, then slowly rage seeped into her veins. Hermione had been so convinced that Draco had left his Slytherin side behind him, but now she didn't know what to think. That is what infuriated her the most, not knowing who or what to believe in.

After several hours and practically wearing a hole through her oriental rug, Hermione decided that she just needed more information. First she was going to start with that witness that Ron had told her about. Then she would see from there what needed to be done.

****

George's shop had been surprisingly dead that Thursday afternoon; of course, Hogwarts had started the day before so he guessed that business would probably slow down. He had just finished stacking their newest skiving snackbox 'Diarrhea Delight' when the fog horn that announced whenever a new customer arrived went off and startled Ron. He scrambled to prevent the few boxes that he had just placed up from crashing to the floor before turning around to greet the customer.

"Hel… What are you doing here?" He hadn't meant it to sound so harsh, but really, wasn't she supposed to be in Japan? He felt his cheeks redden.

"And hello to you too Ron." She arched her brow and stood there with her arms crossed.

"Sorry." He mumbled as he placed the last box on the shelf. "But what _are _you doing here?"

She huffed and dropped her arms back to her sides. "Look I need to know more about this witness of yours."

"S'not my witness. Reynolds found him."

"Well I need to know what they know."

"Why not just ask Harry. He's an Auror you know, has loads of access to that kind of information." Ron wasn't trying to be rude. He really wasn't. He honestly wanted to know why she would think that he, Ron Weasley, would be able to help her. There was also a part of him that was just so shocked to see her there that he could hardly believe it was true.

Ron had spent the last couple of weeks trying to forget about Hermione and Malfoy and move forward with his life. Having Hermione just pop up like that threw all his intentions out of the window. She smelled so sweet and looked so adorable in her irritation.

"I…" She looked around the shop, "I – I don't know." Ron saw that she seemed to be as completely bemused by her own answer. He watched as she bit her lower lip and scrunched her forehead.

"I don't get off for another hour, but I can take you to Reynolds if you want?" _Stupid! Stupid Ron!_ _She can take herself there._

She stayed quiet for a bit, and Ron was about to renege on his offer when she whispered, "Alright."

His heart rate quickened at her breathy word. This was going to be horrible for him later. He was going to regret this time with her knowing that it would never be able to come to anything. That thought didn't stop him from being the most excited he had been since their kiss in the bathhouse.

"So, meet me back here at five?" He waited for her to come to her senses and say 'no, that on second thought she could go on her own' but instead she just nodded her head lightly and slipped out of the shop.

The last hour seemed to last forever. Each minute felt like an hour in itself, and every few seconds Ron looked over at the large clock that was situated above the door to the back room. The minute hand finally reached the twelve as the smaller hour hand hovered over the five. Ron pretended that he was sweeping the floor and not checking the front door out of the corner of his eye.

After fifteen minutes of sweeping the same spot, Ron realized that she was not coming. She had obviously come to her senses and would go to the Auror office on her own. His shoulders slumped, and he ambled back towards the back of the shop. Dejected, Ron tried to talk himself into not caring. He reasoned that it was only natural for her to not want to be near him and he should want the same thing.

He had just put the broom into the tiny closet near the register when the loud fog horn broke through the silence of the shop. He looked up to see Hermione, her face flushed as if she had just run a marathon. Sweat glistened on her forehead and she wiped it away with the back of her hand.

"Hey." She huffed out. "Sorry I'm a bit late. I got caught up at Flourish and Blotts."

Ron just smiled. He was sure it was one of his more goofy grins, but try as he might he could not wipe it away. She had come. Okay, so they were only going to the Auror office, but still she had come back to go there with him.

Butterflies seemed to be having a celebration in his stomach as he looked on her glistening face. "S'okay." He managed to get out once he realized that perhaps he had been staring for a bit too long. "Let me just lock up."

He took off the horrible magenta robes and hung them in the back, grabbing a nice set of grey ones to take their place. He took one last sweep of the room, making sure that everything was in place, before ushering Hermione out the door and locking the shop up with a quick spell under his breath. Secure that the wards were now in place, he led her down Diagon Alley and towards a safe apparition point.

"Ready?" He asked before preparing to practice his three D's.

"As I'll ever be." She gave him a sheepish smile, and Ron felt his heartstrings tug before feeling the familiar pull of apparition taking him to the Ministry, and possibly leading Hermione to the truth of her husband's misdeeds.

**A/N: Yep. It is official. I am stupid. I am so sorry. In my grief and idiocy I posted the wrong chapter last week. Here is the correct one. For all of you who reviewed that one and now know more about what is going on then you should… well that is awesome, and probably a little confusing. Anyway. Here is the proper chapter. Hope you enjoy this and aren't too confused.**


	25. Putting the Pieces Together

She hadn't really thought this whole thing through. Of course, she had spent a lot of time thinking, just not about what she was going to say to Ron when she got to the shop, or how she was even going to be able to look at him.

She was relieved that she had been given that hour to gather her wits about her. Losing herself in Flourish and Blotts was exactly what she needed to calm her nerves and still her rapid thoughts that went from seething to nervous quicker than Harry could catch a snitch.

She was just passing through the Ancient Egyptian lore and onto the Irish folk tales when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Theodore Nott standing behind her.

"Fancy seeing you here." He grinned down at her.

Hermione just chuckled awkwardly.

"I thought that you and Draco were in Japan already?"

"Yes, well, I came back for a bit. Had to get some work done." She was being as evasive as possible. The last thing that she needed was Theo Nott telling everyone that there was trouble in paradise. It wouldn't be so bad, having him know that things weren't great, but he would inevitably tell Blaise and that man couldn't keep gossip like that to himself for anything.

"Oh yes. The book. How is that going?"

She stood there making idle chit chat, every few moments glancing down at her watch and trying not to be too obvious about it. He was a nice guy, but really could not take a hint. Hermione answered all of his queries, making none of her own, though she knew that it would seem rude.

Finally, she was able to slip away with a promise that she would call on Sandra sometime that week. She was late to meet Ron and as soon as she was out of sight of the book store she ran to the joke shop. She was beginning to feel an ache in her side when the shop came into view.

Hermione knew that she probably looked horrible, her cheeks red and her breath coming out in gasps, but there was nothing that she could do about it now. Looking into the window of the store hoping to use its surface as a makeshift mirror, she saw Ron slump his shoulders and her heart practically thumped out of her chest at the sight of his sadness. Without hesitation, she went into the shop and pushed all of her fears aside, all the while trying to keep her focus from the man in front of her and instead on the task at hand.

When they left the shop, the streets seemed to be even more crowded than before. Witches and wizards were rushing to get home from a day of shopping or working. Hermione's toes were stepped on three separate times. The last person, a heavy set man, nearly crushed her pinky toe entirely and Hermione would not have been surprised to find that it was broken.

It didn't take long to get to the apparition point and a wave of relief hit her once they were finally out of the crowded street. Maybe it was just the amount of people and her being so used to being indoors as of late, but she felt as if everyone were watching her. It sent shivers down her spine and she was relieved when they finally left the hub of wizarding Britain.

The ministry was not nearly as packed. Most people had already called it a day and only a skeleton crew remained. The Auror office, however, was still buzzing with activity. Not everyone was there, but the few that remained seemed just as busy as if it were the middle of the day.

They passed by Harry's cube and she noted that it was just as cluttered and messy as always, but he was absent. Then they headed to the right and went straight for Jedediah Reynolds' office. Hermione had only been there a few times back when she worked for the ministry, and she had rarely ever spoken to the man.

He was small in stature but large in action. That she knew. His record spoke for itself. After the war, he was the man that enabled the Auror Department to catch most of the remaining Death Eaters. However, she had to admit that he frightened her a bit. When he wanted to be nice, he could be, in a gruff sort of way, but if he was in a cantankerous mood then watch out.

Ron knocked hesitantly on the door, and Hermione couldn't blame him. An unscheduled visit could be met with ire or indifference, either one not a friendly welcome.

"Who is it?" Came a bark from the other side of the door.

"Ron Weasley and Hermione Gra-Malfoy, sir."

She could hear a shuffling and a couple of louder grunts then the door opened and a ragged Reynolds greeted them. "I'm a little busy here, so make it quick."

Neither one of them spoke as they awkwardly shifted their feet and Hermione wrung her hands.

"Well out with it, I haven't got all bloody day."

"Well, you see, sir," Hermione began, "I was wondering if I could get the information that you have on Ron's case here. The witness reports and such."

Reynolds eyes scrutinized everything about her. There was a slight blush that came to her cheeks, but she stood firm.

"And why would you need to be seeing that?" His question seemed as if he was probing rather than just disregarding her.

"I just thought that maybe I could be of some help." When he shot her a disbelieving gaze she clarified. "Well I was his girlfriend at the time. Maybe something will look familiar." The red in her cheeks grew at the mention of their previous relationship. She ignored it as best she could, but she couldn't help but notice that Ron had shuffled his feet back and forth at the mention of their past.

Reynolds rubbed at his chin for a bit in contemplation, and then shooting them as favorable a look as anyone would get from the man he said, "Follow me," and walked down the hall towards the back of the Auror's office and into what appeared to be a broom closet.

When he opened the door, Hermione saw that it was most certainly not a broom closet. There were tiny drawers built into the wall. All as tiny as a ring box, each drawer had a number on it. The room stretched on so far that she wasn't able to make out an end. They went into the room, walking single file as it was rather narrow.

They reached a box that said 39872893874 in tiny, tiny numbers, Reynolds tapped it with his wand and out came the drawer.

He handed it over to Hermione. "You can take a look at it in one of the interrogation rooms. Now if you please Mrs. Malfoy, head back out, as I don't figure I can squeeze my way around you even as thin as you are."

She quickly turned and practically flew out of the evidence locker, wanting to see all that she could and as soon as possible. Ron was diligently at her heels and his presence was at equal parts soothing and nerve wracking.

They settled into one of the smaller interrogation rooms, and within seconds Hermione had delved into the file and was thoroughly reading one of the reports. She grew so immersed in reading that she almost forgot that Ron was sitting beside her, though she doubted that she would have ever been able to forget that fact completely. His familiar scent invaded her senses, chocolate and spice all rolled together.

Her eyes glazed over a bit as she reminisced about their past, particularly the memory of their first real kiss after the battle - a kiss in which Ron was the initiator and Hermione the unsuspecting recipient. Heat crept up her neck at the thought, but then Ron shuffled slightly beside her and she blinked the memories away, forging forward into the file.

She was reviewing the statement from a Mr. Elders of Longford when she turned the page and saw the two sketches of the men who Mr. Elders had seen with Ron.

Her breath hitched, it was Draco, or as good of a likeness as a sketch could get from memory. _It's just a drawing. It doesn't mean anything. There It could be any number of people._ She turned to look at the second sketch. To most people it could possibly have been anyone, but it was this non-descript man that confirmed to Hermione that Draco had indeed been involved somehow.

She didn't need to see anymore. With a snap, Hermione closed the file and stared at the grey door to the room. _What to do now?_ This question applying to so many different parts of her life.

"You okay?"

His deep voice broke her from her contemplation and she responded with a determined "Yes."

It was lie of course. She wasn't even close to being okay, but she would be. She was going to get to the bottom of this and find out exactly what Draco was doing with Ron only a few days before Ron had returned home. She just needed some time to think, that's all.

****

"You okay?"

"Yes."

She was lying. He didn't even need to hear the weakness in her voice to know it. Ron's own heart ached for her.

He was glad that she now knew the truth about her husband, but to see the agony in her eyes was unbearable. It was enough to make him wish that she never had to know, that she would live happily in ignorance forever, even if it meant that she lived that life with Malfoy.

His arms wanted to wrap themselves around her, but he held himself back. She didn't need that right now. He didn't know what she needed, but definitely not him there to confuse her even more. He watched as the glow of determination set itself in her features.

Ron had no memories of that look on her face, but it filled him with an odd sense of calm. As if that look would make everything all right again.

They left the Auror office and she gave him a distracted good-bye at the entrance. Ron didn't know when he would see her again. He hoped it would be soon, but more than likely she would need plenty of time to sort out everything. Even then he couldn't, and didn't expect anything.

He was moving on. That is what he had promised himself. Yes, he was moving on. Ron stumbled as he tripped over a bit of cracked pavement. Okay, so maybe he was stumbling on.

****

"So, how'd she take it?"

"As well as can be expected I guess." Ginny sighed heavily as she plopped onto the sofa in their sitting room. "Actually she practically slammed the door in my face."

Harry came and sat beside her, running his hands over the small bump that was beginning to show on her belly.

"She'll be okay. Hermione is strong."

"I know. It was just horrible watching the look of disbelief on her face. I can't stand her bloody wanker of a husband, and she knows it, I hate to have her think that I delighted in having to tell her what a shit he is."

"Well didn't you?"

Harry's look was partially accusing and Ginny couldn't help but smirk a little.

"Maybe a bit." She paused. "Does that make me a horrible friend?"

"No, but maybe you should let off a bit on the Draco bashing. Let's let Hermione figure this one out for herself."

"But I don't wanna." Ginny fake whined.

Harry chuckled as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You may not want to, but you're going to have to."

"Fine," she said petulantly as she sat up and crossed her arms, "but I'm not gonna like it."

"No, I expect you won't." He then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her so deeply that all thoughts of Hermione and Draco flew completely from her mind.

****

Hermione walked around Diagon alley for a while after leaving the ministry. Except for some of the restaurants, there were not many people around. The quiet night helped clear Hermione's head from all the dizzying thoughts that were floating around.

"Hermione?" A woman's voice rang out.

She turned at the sound of her name and was greeted by the smiling, yet questioning, faces of Angelina and George.

"Oh, hi."

"What are you doing here?" George blurted.

"Just out for a stroll."

He rolled his eyes. "I meant, what are you doing in England? Aren't you living in Japan now?"

Averting her gaze she answered, "Yes, well, I've come back for a bit."

"Finally come to your senses I see and booted Malfoy out." He smirked until Angelina carefully placed an elbow into his ribs.

"Oomph. What'd you have to go and do that for?" George cried out as he rubbed at his sore chest.

"Sorry, slipped I guess." But behind Angelina's cheeky grin, Hermione could see the scolding in her eyes. "How long have you been back in town then?"

"Just a little while. I've been working on finishing my book."

"That's great. We should get together sometime this week."

"Yeah, I'll floo you." She wouldn't though, and Angelina probably knew that. Right now, the last thing that Hermione needed was to be with anyone. No, she just needed to be alone and think.

"Oh, maybe we could do breakfast!" George's eager voice piped in. "Tell your elf to make those delicious waffles. _Yum_, waffles." His eyes glazed over and both women looked at each other in amusement.

"What can I say? He's great in bed." Angelina winked at Hermione and then pulled George away by the arm.

Hermione could hear his faint protests and insistence that they were the best waffles in the world. She gave a light chuckle and then went on her way, thinking that maybe she would have Twinkles make her some waffles in the morning. Then her feet stopped and an idea popped into her head.

There was a way that she might be able to figure this all out! With all haste, she went home, her heart pounding in her chest in anticipation and fear for what she might find out. Not two minutes later, she found herself in the foyer of her home with Draco.

"Twinkles!" Hermione's shout reverberated around the echoing corridor.

A loud pop and a startled Hermione later, the elf was there.

"Yes mistress." The elf bowed low and then looked up with her big round eyes.

"I was wondering if you could tell me about something. Let's go into the back parlor."  
Hermione led the elf through the hallways as her footfalls fell hard upon her own ears. She settled into the settee against the wall and asked that the elf sit next to her.

Hesitantly, Twinkles approached and sat on the very edge keeping her feet on the floor, an amazing accomplishment considering the elf's small stature.

"I was wondering if you could tell me something."

"What is my mistress wanting to know?"

"I wondering if you could tell me a little bit about…"

**A/N: So here is the next chapter. Figured I would get them all up so you guys were caught up. Again sorry about the mistake from last chapter. Thanks Obsessed for pointing that out to me. **


	26. Of Creaky Stairs and Sneaky Stares

With a loud crack, Hermione and Twinkles popped nearby a nice sized cottage with an overgrown garden.

"Here miss," the elf said as she pointed her finger towards the cottage. Ivy crawled up along one side of the rugged stone house. The windows were all dark, giving the place an ominous feel.

Cautiously, Hermione approached the building, waving her wand about and checking for any wards that might be placed on the property. So far she had run into none. Her fingers shook slightly as she reached for the brass knob on the front door. The door was unlocked and swung open with ease.

She peeked her head in and noted that the door opened into a small entryway. Lighting her wand, Hermione entered the cottage, taking short hesitant steps. She noticed that the place looked completely deserted. A thin layer of dust sat on every surface, and by the look of things, it appeared that the inhabitants of this cottage had left on very short notice.

A pot still sat atop the stove with a thick crust inside of it. Thankfully, any attached odor had long since dissipated. There were clothes strewn about and a small twin sized bed was unmade in one of the upper bedrooms. In the same room, a chess game looked to be in process, minus the players.

She looked all throughout the upper corridors but found nothing of real interest. Via the back stairway, she found herself in the kitchen once more. There was a small whimper from behind Hermione and she twirled around quickly, wand held aloft, to see Twinkles sniffling behind her.

"Sorry miss, I is just seeing where she slept." The elf sniffled once more and wiped the snot from her nose with the back of her hand.

Hermione patted the little elf on the head and looked over to see a small pile of blankets in the corner. There was nothing to indicate who might have been sleeping there, but Hermione knew.

Then she saw a door camouflaged to look as if it was all a part of the wall. The only thing that gave it away was the thin crack that ran from the ceiling on both sides. There did not appear to be any sort of handle, but raising her wand and casting a couple of different incantations, a small door knob appeared in the shape of a bird that resembled the same birds lining the walls.

This door stood locked, unlike the front door, and it took a couple of unlocking spells for Hermione to get it opened. When she did, she saw that it lead to a spiral set of stairs that didn't seem to have an end. With her wand held high and the light as bright as she could make it, Hermione crept slowly down the stairs.

Twinkles decided to stay in the kitchen, and Hermione couldn't blame the poor elf. The stairs were a little shaky and there was an odd draft to the place. After what felt like forever, she reached the bottom and saw to her horror a torture chamber to rival any of those she had seen in any of the Death Eaters' homes.

An Iron Maiden in the corner sat blessedly closed, and Hermione had no intention of opening it at this visit; that would be something for the proper authorities. A set of chains hung from the ceiling and below that, odd brown splatter marks. Whips of all assortments lined the walls, and Hermione need only guess what the chains were for.

Hermione couldn't even look through anymore of the odd tools and devices, some of which she had no idea what they were for and some which unfortunately she did. It made her sick to think of what went on down in this room and she rushed to the stairs to get out.

She could feel the metal beneath her feet wobble and sway. There was a rough sounding creek and Hermione paused. Slowly she lifted her left foot and took a step up. Nothing. She sighed with relief and followed suit with her right. Three more steps in that manner had her feeling a bit more at ease, until the next step when the stairs gave a horrible groan.

There was another loud creek and the stairs swayed. Fearing that they had disconnected from the top bracers Hermione rushed back down to the bottom most stair right before the entire case came crashing down against the back wall. She was thrown to the ground and her wand rolled across the floor and into one of the corners.

"Is miss okay?" The elf's small voice called down to her.

"Yes Twinkles, I'm fine. I'll be up in a moment."

She made an attempt to stand, but fell back to the ground with a throbbing pain in her ankle. It was probably just a slight sprain and easily fixed once she was able to get a hold of her wand. On her hands and knees she crawled over to the dark corner and patted her hand along the floor, groping for her wand.

Her fingers closed instead on a small hard clod of dirt of sorts, holding that in her left hand she reached with her right to find her wand once more. Her hands felt the smooth surface of her wand and she held onto it tightly. Lighting it up Hermione looked down at what she had found and saw that it was a ring encased in mud and dirt. She poked the clump from the center and used her part of her shirt to clean the rest off.

There in the palm of her hand was a thin gold ring with a small ruby chip set into it. Holding her wand even closer she noticed an etched designed that encircled the outside. Just as she was about to lower her wand, the light glinted and Hermione noticed an engraving on the inside of the band. _To Forever With My Bookworm._ Her throat closed and she found it difficult to swallow. Tears prickled behind her eyes and she brushed them away with her thumbs tracking dirt across her face.

She was unable to move. She was unable to do anything. All she could think was, _He was going to propose. He was going to propose. He was going to propose._ It was like a reel that kept repeating over and over again. Nothing else got through.

She didn't even feel it as a small hand petted at her back, or as she was lifted in the air and flown up through the doorway. The only thing that she was aware of is when that same hand tried to take the ring from her closed fist. Instinctively, Hermione gripped the ring tighter and screamed out, "NO!" with all of the force in her being.

The next thing that Hermione knew, warmth encased her. She opened her crusted, bleary eyes to see that she was in her bed; covers pulled tightly around her, and Twinkles asleep on the chair which she had pulled over to the side of the bed.

For a second she couldn't really remember what could possibly have gone on, but then she felt a cramp in her left hand and noticed that she was holding onto something. She opened her fingers to see the small ring from last night and all of the memories came flooding back.

The blackness almost enveloped her once more, but Hermione pushed it away. It would not do to dwell. She needed to get the whole story. The question she now had to ask herself was, does she go to the source or does she go straight to Draco and hope he gives her the truth?

Either way she would be playing her hand and she might not get the answers that she needs. All she knew for sure was that Ron was definitely tortured in that house, and more than likely was held captive there.

First she would go to Harry.

****

There was a loud banging on the front door and Ginny dropped the spoon that she was licking clean. With sticky fingers, she strode over to the door and attempted to open it by only using her palms. After struggling with the knob for a second, the frantic face of Hermione greeted her.

"Hermione! Are you okay? Here come in." Ginny ushered her in, taking care not to get any of the chocolate cake batter onto Hermione's clothing. She licked her fingers clean as she led Hermione to a chair in the kitchen.

"Is Harry in?" Hermione's eyes roved about the room, not stopping on anything.

"No, I'm sorry. He just headed out for a drink with Ron. What's going on?"

"I just really need to talk to Harry that's all."

"About?" Ginny came and sat down in the chair across from Hermione.

"Look, I promise I will tell you everything, but first I have to tell Harry. Do you know where they went?"

Ginny tried not to look hurt, but it was hard. Why couldn't Hermione confide in her? The brunette seemed to sense that Ginny was upset because she said, "It is a matter that requires an Auror, Gin. Otherwise, you know I would tell you first."

She became slightly appeased and let Hermione know that the boys had planned on going to the Hogshead. With a rushed, 'Thank you' Hermione burst from the room and fled the house.

Ginny remained in her chair for only a moment longer when the smell of the chocolate covered bowl called out to her senses. Thankfully, no one was there to watch as she dived in headfirst.

****

It was a fairly slow night and Ron was glad to see that only a pair of hags and a lone warlock sat at the bar. Ever since he had come home, he couldn't help but notice how people would stare whenever he walked into a crowded room. Of course, it was even worse when he was in the company of Harry.

The war had only ended five years ago, and with his re-emergence into society, it was hard to get any peace with a pint in public these days. The other inhabitants were as unobservant as Ron could have ever hoped; still they decided to head towards a booth in one of the darker corners of the pub.

Aberforth flicked his wand and two glasses of Ogden's flew towards them. Ron wasn't sure if it was such a good thing that the owner knew what they would be drinking, but he decided not to dwell on that. There were more pressing concerns at the moment. such as what Hermione had found out about Malfoy and his partner in crime.

Ron had already shared everything with Harry earlier that day; that was when they had decided to go for a drink.

"So you really think it was Malfoy then?"

"Harry, I'm telling you he was involved. Hermione's reaction confirmed it completely."

"I'll dig into it some more. I'll have to do it on my off time though. Reynolds doesn't want to pursue the Malfoy line, says it's a dead end. Ginny won't be happy about that."

"Who are you kidding Harry?Ginny will love it if you can find out that Malfoy was involved. She hates that wanker almost as much as I do."

Harry choked on his fire whiskey, confirming that it was not a good idea to laugh and drink at the same time. Ron pounded on Harry's back until the coughing fit subsided.

"I meant she won't like all the extra time away from her, but point taken. If I tell her it's to catch Malfoy, then she might let it slide. Though, with the way her moods have been changing lately, I won't hold my breath."

"Better you than me, mate."

Harry grimaced, but his eyes sparkled with a different story. Ron knew that his friend would gladly take all of Ginny's mood swings for the chance of having a real family.

"Nature calls." Harry said a moment later as he rose from the booth.

Ron just nodded and stared into his glass as he thought more about yesterday's activities and what they meant. His thoughts flitted from his case and settled happily onto a pair of rich brown eyes and the scent of bluebells. The door of the pub opened and let in an autumn chill.

Ron shook with the onset of the unexpected breeze and when his eyes focused again, he spotted the girl he had just been thinking of. She was wrapped tightly in a dark blue cloak, her cheeks pink from the cold outside. He blinked, trying to shoo away this obvious hallucination, but when his lids opened, she was not only there, but was headed towards their booth.

She rushed towards Ron, and without any greeting, asked where she could find Harry. She appeared a bit frantic, and wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Off to the loo, he'll be back in a bit. Why don't you sit?" Ron gestured towards the seat that Harry had previously occupied. He watched as her eyes darted about the room before taking the seat.

"You okay?" She had continued her search of the premises after sitting and had jumped slightly at the sound of his voice.

"Yeah." Ron raised his eyebrow at her. She ducked down lower in the booth and whispered, "I just feel like someone is following me."

At that, Ron also began to look about the pub, but everything seemed to be normal. The hags and warlock were still seated at the bar, but none of the party appeared to even acknowledged Hermione's entrance. While he was glancing about the room, he noticed that there was a lone figure standing outside of the pub, his back was facing the large front window, but Ron could have sworn that the person's eyes had just been peering through the glass. As soon as Ron seemed to spot him, the figure turned his back.

"I think you might be right." He motioned his eyes in the direction of the window.

Casually Hermione turned her head to the side and pretended that she was scratching her chin with her shoulder.

"Can you see his face?" She asked anxiously.

"No, I can't make anything out. So you want me to…"

"NO!" She stated a little louder than obviously intending. "No." She repeated more quietly. "Not yet, not until we know more about what's going on."

Noticing her nervousness, Ron reached across the table and grabbed her hand in his. He rubbed his thumb gently over her smooth skin as he tried to calm her down. "Don't worry, Harry and I are here. We won't let anything happen to you."

Ron looked apprehensively towards the window again and saw that the figure was walking back into the shadows. Then, he glanced back towards Hermione. Her gaze was fixed on their intertwined hands, and quickly Ron pulled away. She brought her hand back, rubbed at where they had touched with her other hand, and then placed them both under the table.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's okay." Hermione's voice was small and she did not look up at him. They spent the rest of the time waiting for Harry in absolute silence.

****

_How long does it take a person to use the toilet?_ She wrung her fingers together under the table as she stared blankly at the spot on the table where their hands had touched. Merlin, how she needed Harry here, now!

Hermione had considered breaking the awkward silence that had enveloped their booth, but had turned the idea away just as quickly. She couldn't trust herself to speak to Ron. Not now that she knew he was going to propose to her all those years ago. Her heart wrenched, and when their fingers had met, she thought it might squeeze and burst right out of her chest.

"Hermione? What are you doing here?"

She sighed in relief, the torture was now over. "Well that's a fine way to greet a friend."

"Sorry." Harry laughed as he slid in next to her.

"Er, Harry? I need to talk to you."

"Okay," he said hesitantly.

"Alone." Hermione emphasized.

"All right." He nodded his head. "Why don't we just go upstairs for a bit?"

Harry extended his hand towards Hermione as he rose from the booth once more.  
She accepted and followed behind him as closely as she could.

"We'll need a quiet room." Harry whispered to Aberforth.

The old man grunted and tossed over a key that Harry caught with ease.

Once ensconced comfortably in one of the shabby rooms that the Hogshead boasted, Harry turned towards Hermione and asked, "What's going on?"

She heaved herself into one of the wooden chairs that were circling a small table before answering him.

"I think I found where they kept Ron."

Harry's back straightened and his tone switched from that of caring friend to Auror in a split second. "Where?"

"One of the Nott residences. It's near Longford."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded then reached into her pocket and held the would-have-been engagement ring out to him. "I found this in their dungeon."

He took the ring from her and studied it. It was a while before he seemed to notice the inscription on the inside, but once he did there was a loud gasp.

"Maybe the ring was someone el…"

"No," she shook her head, "not unless there are many people out there affectionately known as Bookworm and have ruby as their favorite stone."

"What's this?" Hermione lifted her head to see what Harry was talking about.

"Just some decorative etching I think."

Harry shook his head. "I don't know much about ancient runes. Okay I don't know anything about ancient runes, but Hermione, this looks like some kind of script."

He held out the ring to her and she took it and examined the etchings more closely. The script swirled around the ring and Hermione could have hexed herself for not noticing that it was indeed writing. She must have been so focused on the engraving on the inside that she didn't see that there was also one on the outside.

Focusing on the runes she was able to make out a few choice words. Words that sounded very familiar to her, words that she was sure that she had read before. Then like a ton of bricks it hit her.

"I know how Ron lost his memory of me!" She stood up so quickly that she knocked the chair back.

"Wha- How?"

"I have to go home. Here," She wrote out the address of the Nott's place in Longford and handed it to Harry. "I'll floo you as soon as I am sure about something."

"Hermione! Please just tell me…"

However, Hermione didn't hear the rest of what Harry had said. She was already half way down the stairs at that time. With all haste she rushed out of the bar, not even hazarding a glance at the back booth and the red head who sat there. She wouldn't have been able to leave if she had looked upon his freckled face. No, she now had a puzzle to solve, something to distract her from making any kind of a decision.

**A/N: I know that I told a couple of people I would have this up much earlier, but my father in law passed away this weekend and so I was understandably detained. I thank all of you for reading and really appreciate the wonderful reviews I have received. **


	27. It All Comes Out

Hermione set to work as soon as she entered her back room. She immediately reached for a large brown book that helped her in much of her research. She flipped the pages hastily until she landed on an image of a young Egyptian princess crying over a dead Egyptian male.

__

_The Story of Merit and Rasui_

_There once was an Egyptian princess named Merit who fell deeply in love with a serving boy, Rasui. Her father Uro would not allow Merit to be with her beloved and forced her to marry the ruler of a nearby region, Panahasi. Panahasi was a cruel man and Merit did not love him. _

_It is said that Rasui had bestowed upon Merit a small, golden ring set with a tiny chip of ruby. He then used an ancient magic to endow the ring with his love. The runes loosely translated to mean 'Endless Love'. _

_Merit accepted this ring, and they planned to elope to a far away country. When Panahasi learned of their scheme and caught Merit, he took her away to his castle. Rasui escaped, but for Merit, there was no escaping. She would have to marry the brutish man. _

_Not wanting Rasui to suffer as she would, Merit added her own magic to the ring. On top of Rasui's hieroglyphs, Merit wove a spell. This spell left no mark on the ring. It was a spell that would only take effect once she married someone else, for she still had hope that Rasui would come for her._

_Once she accepted the vows of marriage, Rasui's memory of Merit would change. Not lost completely, as their lives had intertwined too much over the years, but enough that his mind would no longer hold any trace of their love._

_Merit couldn't bear it if she married someone else and Rasui suffered because of his love for her. So on her wedding day to Panahasi, Rasui's memory of his love faded. She spent years without seeing her beloved, until one day in the market she spotted Rasui working in a stand. _

_Not able to avert her gaze, their eyes met. Rasui could not help but pursue her from that moment on. For a while, he had forgotten her, but upon seeing her face, he knew he was destined to be with this strange woman. Merit, having never lost her feelings for Rasui, could not resist his advances._

_They were unable to keep their love a secret for long, and upon hearing of the affair, Panahasi took his revenge against Rasui, killing him at Merit's feet. The ring, which had held their love together, was lost forever._

_Until now,_ Hermione thought.

Whoever sold it to Ron must have only seen the spell for endless love and Ron, seeing the Egyptian runes, would have wanted Hermione to have it. Somehow, the ring knew their destiny and poured its magic out on them, as they became the ill-fated lovers in the story. Maybe it happened when Ron added his own inscription. Whatever the case, when Hermione married Draco the ring reacted and wiped Ron's memory of Hermione clean.

What the ring could not do was wipe away his love for her, just as it wasn't able to do so for Rasui. Hermione closed the book and looked more closely at the ring. There had to be a way to break its spell. She was about to look into artifact magic when she felt an odd tingling sensation run down her back.

She turned to see Draco standing like a shadow in the doorway. Arms crossed, he was leaned against the frame.

"You scared me." She said, once she felt that she could keep the shock from her voice.

"Where were you tonight?" His voice sounded cold, and another wave of shivers washed over her.

"I've been here and I stopped by the Hogshead to see Harry. Why?" _He had come home to ask her where she was?! Not a word from him in over two weeks and this is how he greeted her? If he has decided that he can't forgive her kiss to Ron, why bother coming at all?_

"You lie."

She gaped at him.

"I know you were with _him_!" He spat the last word so venomously that even though Hermione stood across the room, she flinched.

"With who? Ron? He was there, but I didn't go to see him. I went to see Harry." Her shock had completely worn off and now anger raged in her. How dare Draco come back and treat her in this manner? Especially now, when she had evidence against him! How he was going to explain his 'lack' of involvement was something she really wanted to hear.

"So going to see Harry involves you holding hands with Weasel, does it?"

"Were you following me?" She stood, and even though her stature was smaller than Draco's, all her fury proved an intimidating force. Draco took a step back but held his forceful gaze. Hermione stepped forward, pressing her advantage.

"So what if I did? After being informed that you ran off with the Weasel last night, I came to see for myself. And what a show it was, too. I ask you to come home so that I can think, and what do you do? You run into the arms of the man that pulled us apart in the first place."

"Oh. So, now Ron pulled us apart? It has nothing to do with your manipulations? Nothing at all to do with how you were, in fact, involved in Ron's kidnapping? Or maybe how you paid some tramp to sleep with Ron so that I would find out about it? What exactly was your plan for that one? Did you just want to hurt Ron, or was my pain a bonus?"

Hermione stepped forward again, her face s red with anger, and her finger pointed into Draco's chest.

"Draco, I admit I messed up in kissing Ron, but now that I know all you have done, why in the world should I want _your_ forgiveness?"

He gaped. It was the first sign of feeling in him since he had come home. "I… I didn't."

"Don't you dare lie to me, Draco Malfoy! Don't even think about it."

Hermione pushed him back so far that he fell onto the settee.

"Hermione, I swear I didn't…"

"NO. MORE. LIES!"

"Look, just listen to me. Please." She stopped and looked down at his pleading face. This sign of weakness made her back off, but only slightly. Draco was never weak, or at least never showed it.

"Five minutes." She looked down at her wristwatch.

There was a moment of silence, which Hermione broke with a light "Tic-Toc" and a tap to her watch.

"I didn't have anything to do with Ron's kidnapping." At her disbelief he added, "I swear it."

Hermione just growled.

"Look, I just found out about it a few days before he came back. Theo sent over an owl. You remember, right?"

She nodded slowly, as if she were drawing the memory forward.

"Well, I went over to his place and he took me to that house, the one where Weasley was being held. He didn't know about it. His dad took the poor bastard before he was caught."

She shot him a sharp glare.

"The elf was left to care for him, but since no one knew he was there, no one could order his release. So, the elf just kept him there until she died, I guess."

He looked up at her, searching Hermione in hope that she believed him. Her anger slowly ebbed away and she listened more closely to his tale.

"When Theo went to put in a new house elf now that the elder one was getting sick he saw Weasel…Er…Weasley there. That's when he called me."

"And why would he call you?"

"I don't know, because he thought I could help."

"Help with what exactly?"

"Hermione, love, I promise I didn't do anything. We set him free. Theo put a memory charm on him so he wouldn't remember where he had been. Then we went home. That's it. I swear it." He held his hands out in a supplicating manner.

"Oh, Draco. Why didn't you just come and tell me this?" Hermione paced in front of him.

Draco's face grew cold again. "Why would I have done that? I wasn't going to chance you leaving me for him. Not that it mattered. You left me for him anyway, didn't you?"

"Damn it, Draco! I didn't leave you."

"Yes you did. You left the second that you heard he was back. You leave me every time we make love."

Hermione took a step back from him. Her face went white, and she felt as if her heart would stop beating all together.

"I don't…"

"Yes you do. Why do you think I sent that little tramp after him? So you would see, so you would know that he is not who you think he is." He rose from the settee and came closer to Hermione.

"And who is he Draco? He didn't do anything wrong that night! I did. _ I_ kissed _him._ I was the one who was married. Ron didn't owe me anything. You, however, did. You owed me respect and trust. Neither of which I got from you."

"Trust," he laughed. "What a joke. You kissed him, Hermione. Why should you deserve my trust?"

"Yes, I kissed him. Only after he told me that there was a witness to his kidnapping that pinpointed you. If you had been honest with me from the beginning, I would have had no reason to doubt you."

"You shouldn't have doubted me to begin with!"

"Oh, yes, the ever truthful one who resorts to tricks and schemes to embarrass your supposed opponent." The argument began to grow heated again, and they both stood face to face, neither one of them backing down this time.

"No 'supposed' about it, Hermione. The Weasel has haunted this relationship from the beginning."

"Yet you pursued me anyway. Don't play the victim here, Draco. You knew how it was. If you didn't like it you should have stayed away." It was a low blow; she could see the hurt in his eyes.

"Maybe I should have, but I couldn't…" He reached his hand up and ran it down Hermione's arm. "I loved you too much."

Hermione softened her stance and clasped his fingers with hers. "I know." Silent tears slid down both of their cheeks.

"So what now?" Draco choked out.

She gave him the most honest answer that she could. "I don't know, Draco. I just don't know."

****

Ginny was dozing lightly on the couch. Chocolate cake crumbs littered her shirt and the couch. She had been waiting up for Harry and drifted off to sleep when the rustle of his footsteps woke her.

Groggy, she couldn't call the ire that she had intended. "What time is it?"

"Late." Harry said as he took off his cloak and hung it up.

Suddenly, she'd found that ire. "WHERE WERE YOU? I HAVE BEEN SITTING UP ALL NIGHT WAITING FOR YOU TO…"

"We found where they kept Ron." His voice sounded tired, and it was that more than his words that had initially stopped her tirade. When the words finally sank in, her anger disappeared completely.

"Where? Was it Malfoy's basement?"

"No Ginny, it wasn't Malfoy. In fact, he really played no part in Ron's kidnapping at all as far as we can tell."

"Yeah right." She folded her arms over her chest and saw the chocolate crumbs move on her shirt. Unfolding her arms, she picked up some of the larger pieces and popped them into her mouth.

"No, really. I can't actually tell you much, not until the trial is over anyway, but it looks like Malfoy was not the bad guy in this case."

"He's still a conniving little ferret."

"Yes, yes he is." Harry went to sit by Ginny and put his arm around his shoulder. "But he is not the conniving ferret that kidnapped Ron."

Ginny sulked down lower into the couch.

"You seem displeased."

"Well, I am. I want that rat behind bars."

"You know, Gin, he's your best friends husband, and as Hermione's best friend you should be happy to know that he had nothing do with it."

She mumbled something unintelligible even to herself under her breath.

"So who did it then? Who is on trial?"

"Theo Nott."

"Really?" The information floored Ginny. Of all of Draco's friends, Theo had been the one she tolerated most.

"He didn't do it, but that's what he's going to have to prove at the trial."

"Well if he didn't do it…"

"Really Gin, I can't tell you any more. It's been a long night. Can we just go to bed and discuss this in the morning?"

She was about to argue, but his face looked so tired and defeated that she couldn't bear to disagree with him now. She would save that for the morning.

****

Ron was more than happy that he couldn't remember what had happened in that house because by the looks of that dungeon, he didn't want to know. He went with Harry, Reynolds, and a team of Aurors to pick up Nott following the search of the cottage.

Nott came quietly. In fact, he looked a little relieved to have been caught. Ron never paid the son of a Death Eater much thought. The boy, now man, seemed to be completely unremarkable. Nothing about him stood out in Ron's memory, past nor present. Even after seeing him, Ron quickly forgot just what Nott looked like.

It was no wonder no one could identify him from his portrait. Theodore Nott was the most indistinguishable man in England. Perhaps that is why he did so well in business; no one saw him coming.

The interrogation seemed more like an afternoon tea. Nott was more than willing to give the details of Ron's imprisonment in his family home. However, it seemed that he miraculously had nothing to do with the crime. Nott blamed it all on his father, and why not? The man sat rotting in a cell in Azkaban for life; a few more years wouldn't kill him.

Okay, so maybe Ron was a bit harsh. They really had no solid evidence that Nott had anything to do with Ron's kidnapping. Maybe the bloke really had been clueless, but then why wouldn't he have just brought Ron in as soon as he found out? It all just seemed a little too perfect.

There was also the question of Malfoy. _Why had Nott called the one person in the world that would not want to see Ron return? Was that what happened to his memory of Hermione? Did Draco take that away? _

"Are you going to be all right?" Harry asked as they set to floo to their respective homes after the interrogation was over.

"Yeah. Just seems a bit too easy if you ask me."

"Listen, Ron, I know you want to think that Draco is the devil. I know you would love to hear all the horrible things that he gets up to..." Ron scowled, which caused Harry to pause for a moment. "…but the truth is, he is not such a bad guy."

Harry held his hands up high in the air. "I am not saying he is some sort of saint. All I mean is he isn't the same bloke we went to school with. And I know you really won't want to hear this, but, he truly does love Hermione."

Ron grimaced, but what could he say? There was no reason to argue. For all Ron knew, Harry was right. In fact, he probably was. It was strange how levelheaded his friend had become during Ron's absence.

"I'm so sorry, mate. About everything." With a pat on the back and a flash of green flames, Harry left Ron in the atrium of the ministry to contemplate his fate.

Ron didn't want to, but he finally had to admit that all hope with Hermione was lost. There would be no way to win her. She was too noble, too sweet, too good to leave Draco, and after all these years, why would she want to? What did a future with Ron hold? He didn't know. He couldn't remember the past. How would he even begin to map out a future?

With a heavy heart, he flooed himself to George's flat where he cried himself to sleep.

**A/N: I hope you liked it. Did anyone guess any of that? A lot was revealed in a short amount of time and I am very, very anxious to hear what you think about it.**  
**To my lovely beta Georgia Weasley who has been knocking out these chapters left and right, you are the best beta a girl could ask for.**


	28. Going for the Gold

They agreed that Draco would sleep in the guest room the previous night. Hermione had hoped that due to this fact, she might be able to sneak out early that morning, but of course, she was wrong. It was six-thirty when she silently padded her way downstairs and into the kitchen. All of her silence had been for naught, for when Hermione snuck into the kitchen she saw that Draco was already there drinking a mug of coffee.

"Morning," he said hesitantly.

"You're up early," Hermione stated.

"Yeah." He took a measured sip from his cup, and the quiet echoed throughout the kitchen.

"Well, I…er… have some work to do this morning so I'll just be going then." Hermione started walking backwards towards the door of the kitchen.

"Yeah," he said again. His eyes followed her movements out the door and her stomach lurched and tightened.

As soon as she was clear of the doorway, she moved quickly towards the front door. She would just have to grab her breakfast somewhere in the city. Hermione was going to see Professor Linus T. Wentworth, known foremost for his work on ancient spell reversal.

It would be too early to stop by just yet, so it wasn't so unfortunate that Hermione had something to do during the wait time. She went into a small diner in muggle London that served the best fry-up Hermione had ever enjoyed.

With a full belly, she headed towards the Professor's home. It was a thirty minute walk through the heart of Diagon Alley and off a side street past WWW that brought her to the front of a rather imposing house. The houses on the street were all connected, but this large manse took up an entire block.

It was eight o'clock in the morning, not a completely respectable time for a visit, but she just couldn't wait anymore. She rang the pull bell and waited. The door opened without a sound and a man in his mid sixties stood there in a faded green dressing gown and slippers

"I am not interested." The elderly man said and began to close the door back into Hermione's face.

"Wait!" She shoved her foot in between the jamb and the closing door. The door rebounded off her shoe and managed to smack the man in elbow.

"Gr…ow!" The man shouted out as he rubbed his funny bone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Hermione rushed towards him, entering his house. She went to grab his elbow to see what the damage was, but the gentleman pulled his arm out of her grasp.

"Get. Out." He said crisply.

"Please sir, I am so sorry. I'm looking for Professor Wentworth. It's rather urgent."

"Oh you are, are you?" He sized Hermione up as he continued to rub at his elbow.

"Yes, sir." Hermione bowed her head in what she thought was a contrite manner.

"And what is your business with him?"

She hesitated, unsure if she should tell this robe clad man anything about the ring. After all, it was a priceless artifact. Finally, she settled on, "I need him to break a memory charm for me."

"Why would he want to do that?"

"Because I can pay him very handsomely." She held out a large sack that held countless galleons in it. Besides the Professor's reputation for being the best, he also held quite the reputation for loving luxury, and was easily convinced with a bag or two of galleons.

"Fine." He half growled at her and turned away. The man walked down the hall, his slippers made a small shuffling sound against the hardwood floor.

Not knowing if she should follow him, Hermione stood still in the entryway.

The man turned around and grumbled, "Well come on girl. The Professor hasn't got all day."

She rushed to catch up and moved quietly in step behind him.

She attempted to make conversation. "So you are not the professor then?"

The man just barked out a laugh and then led her towards a large oak door. "Get in. The Professor will be in shortly."

She found herself in a wood paneled study with large leather couches and an enormous mahogany desk as the only furnishings in the room. The rest of the room held stacks of books strewn about everywhere. There were no shelves to speak of, but there must have been thousands of tomes, some stacks reaching higher than Hermione herself.

She wandered through the piles, taking note of some titles of interest. The collection of books amazed her, and it wasn't surprising that she was easily tempted to pick one up and browse its contents.

She had just decided on a smaller black book entitled, _The Power of Thought_, when the door swung open and a boisterous voice rang out.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

Hermione jumped and knocked into the stack nearby, spilling the top few books onto the floor.

"I'm so…" She stopped as she turned to see an attractive man not much older than herself. She had been expecting someone much older, and well, less good looking. Realizing that she had been staring she continued, "…sorry."

He flicked his wand and the books righted themselves.

"So, what is this I hear about a memory charm?" He moved easily over to one of the couches and sat down, gesturing for Hermione to do the same.

With much less grace, she managed to wind her way over to the opposite couch and sat facing him.

"Yes, well, you see I have this friend who came across a ring. The ring held a very strong spell that resulted in him losing parts of his memory." Hermione brought the ring out from her pocket and showed the article to the Professor.

He leaned over, took the proffered ring, and examined it carefully.

"Who is this Bookworm?" He asked after seeing the inscription inside.

Hermione blushed and took in the beautiful pattern of the rug.

"I see." He leaned back towards her and handed the ring back. "Well, I will need to do some research and see where the origins of this ring come from. It could take some time, which will take money…" He raised a hinting brow to her.

"Money I have, but you needn't worry yourself about the history…"

"On the contrary, I won't be able to do anything with this until I have a better idea of where it came from. You see Ms…"

"Malfoy." At hearing her name, his eyes sparkled. "What I meant, Professor, was that you needn't worry about the history because I already know it."

The sparkle faded slightly. "Oh, no need to be so formal. Just call me Linus."

"Alright, Linus. I came across the story of Merit and Rasui, which I believe, and you may feel free to confirm, explains the origins of this ring. I am not as confident on how to break both the memory charm, and the charm of endless love, but…"

"Endless love you say? That will be quite difficult. I will have to charge extra for that."

Hermione just nodded, though inwardly she sighed with frustration.

"Well first you will need to get me all the information that you have gathered on this Merit and Ras…"

"Rasui."

"Yes, Rasui. Then you can just leave the ring with me and I will let you know once I have everything figured out."

"If it's all right with you, sir, I would very much like to help."

"Help?" He seemed bemused by her request.

"Yes, help. I'll pay you double if you allow me this opportunity." His eyes sparkled again and she knew that she had him.

"Of course, of course. You are welcome to help. I would be more than glad for any assistance."

Hermione produced the large book of Egyptian Lore that she had miniaturized and brought with her and the two of them got to work on breaking the spells that haunted the ring.

****

"Gerroff!" Ron grumbled into his pillow and dug himself deeper into the couch.

_Poke._

He pulled his blanket securely over his head.

_Smack._

Ron shot up like a bullet and rubbed the back of his head. "What'd you have to go and do that for?" His voice was gravelly from disuse.

"Because it's three bloody o'clock in the afternoon, and while I myself enjoy a good lie-in, I don't do it in the middle of someone else's flat."

"Sometimes you do." He heard Angelina's voice from the bathroom.

"Bugger off woman! I'm trying to make a point here." George proceeded to jump on top of his younger brother in attempt to dislodge him from the couch.

"Your point being that you want to kill me?" Ron moaned.

"Not right now, don't want to get blood everywhere; Ange just cleaned the place up." George smirked. "My point was it's about time you make your own way in the world. I think you have great potential Ronnie-kins, it's just waiting for the right shove." At the word shove, George managed to lodge his feet in between Ron and the cushions, and using the back of the couch as leverage, he extricated the tall, redheaded lump from his place.

"Oomph." Ron fell to the floor in a heap of blankets and a loud 'thump'.

"See; off to a good start all ready."

"I can't believe you're kicking me out!" Ron cried in indignation from his position on the floor.

"I wouldn't call it kicking you out so much as helping you to engage in a more mature lifestyle."

"That's rich, coming from you."

"Hey, I resemble that remark."

"Look Ron, I'm gonna level with you here. You need to stop moping around and start actually living. I am sick of seeing your depressed mug around here all day, at the shop, and all night on this damned couch. So stop it! Besides, you are seriously cutting into my sexy time."

Ron grimaced, "Sexy-time?"

"Yes little brother, sexy-time, and when you have a bird as good looking as Ange you can call it whatever you want."

"Fine, I'll go. Mum'll be thrilled to have me home." He rose from the floor and disentangled himself from the blankets.

George just shook his head.

"What? She will be."

"How in the world you were ever able to get a girl is beyond me." He scratched behind his ear hole.

The remark, though lacking any direct reference to Hermione, stung. Ron was useless; he needed to man-up. Even if he couldn't ever get Hermione back, he wouldn't be able to find anyone if he didn't start being a bit more responsible. _It also might help in showing Hermione how much better you are than Malfoy. _

Ron shook his head, trying to rid himself of those thoughts that gave him any hope. He couldn't compare to what Malfoy had to offer her. Not as he was living now. She wouldn't go from a beautiful mansion to sleeping on his brother's couch with him, from a prominent businessman to a shop clerk.

He couldn't even blame her for that thinking. But maybe, just maybe, if he went and showed her and the world that he wasn't just some useless couch crasher, then she would take him back and forget about Malfoy, her husband.

_Oh, who am I kidding? She's married!_ He slumped back onto the couch.

"Oh no you don't. You're getting out of here." It was Angelina this time, straight out from the loo. She pulled Ron by his arm and with surprising strength managed to get him up right. "I like you Ron, you're a good kid, but if you cut into any more of my shag time, well let's just say that there are things that I could do to you that would make your great grandchildren curse my name.

She pulled him along and towards the front door. "We'll send your things," she looked around the room and the odd pair of sweats and robes, "er… yeah, later."

They both stood at the door and watched as Ron trudged down the stairs. "You don't come back now, ye hear?" Angelina sang out in a southern twang as she waved.

George waved along with her until Ron reached the bottom- most step, and then with an arm around her waist George pulled Angelina into the flat and slammed the door shut.

He chuckled a little at his brothers antics, but then sighed as realization of his situation dawned. Ron would have to grow up. It was just so hard when he couldn't remember the four years during which he should have been growing up.

****

"Harry! Have you seen my quill?" In a quieter voice Ginny mumbled, "I swear it was here just a minute ago."

"Have you tried looking by the desk?" His voice called from the other room.

"Of course I have!" Ginny cried shrilly. She stomped over to the desk just to prove her point, when she saw her orange quill sticking out from beneath a piece of parchment. She blushed, even though Harry hadn't been there to see her gaffe.

She began to write a short note to Hermione when she heard light footsteps behind her.

"So, where was it?" Harry's breath tickled her ear as he bent down to look over her shoulder.

"Under some pradegadh" She garbled.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

She groaned and then more clearly, said, "Under some parchment."

"And where was that parchment?"

Ginny couldn't see the grin on Harry's face, but she sure as hell could hear it, and it infuriated her.

"On the desk, okay? You happy? I am a moron and you are a genius." Then she started to cry.

"Oh, Gin. It's okay, I was only funnin' you."

She punched him on the shoulder.

"Ow!" Harry hollered, and the tears stopped.

"Sorry. You should know better than to mess with a hormonal Weasley woman. I just don't know what's wrong with me lately. I swear I would forget my head if it weren't strapped on so tight."

"It's normal. The healer's said there might be bits of memory lapse."

"I know, but this placenta brain is driving me nuts. If the baby doesn't stop sucking my mind dry, I might have to take drastic action." She waved her quill around as if it were a wand.

"And what exactly are you going to do to our unborn child?"

"I don't know, I'll tell you when I figure it out."

"Whew," Harry wiped his brow. "You had me worried there for a second. But if we have to wait for you to think of something, I am not concerned."

Ginny punched him again. The sound of knocking on their front door interrupted them.

**A/N: So someone told me that the asterisks (sp?) werent showing up, but they are here when I check the preiview, so I am hoping that my changing in POV is not too confusing. Let me know if it still is. **

**I hope you enjoyed, I know it isn't super action packed, but I promise it will become so soon enough. Thanks goes to all of you lovely readers and reviewers.**


	29. Forced to Decide

"Hermione! I was just about to owl you." Ginny opened the door wider to let her friend enter.

"Is Harry here?" Hermione asked as she stepped into the entryway.

"So you didn't come to see me then?" There was a slight edge to her voice which Hermione chose to ignore.

"Actually, I came to see you both."

Ginny's face brightened and she called up the stairs for Harry. Harry came barreling down the stairs, skipping the last couple of steps with an agile leap.

"So…" He said.

"So," It took a lot of effort on Hermione's part to keep the grin from breaking across her face. "I think I know how to get Ron's memories back."

Ginny gasped and Harry's face split into a bright smile that scrunched his glasses further up his nose.

Ginny led them all into the front sitting room where Hermione went on to tell the story of Merit and Rasui.

"That story does not seem to bode well for my brother. I don't fancy him getting killed by your evil, git of a husband."

"Ginny." Harry scolded.

Hermione, again, chose to ignore Ginny's reaction.

"As I was saying… I went to see Professor Wentworth," she was interrupted by Ginny's comment of 'ooh, he is so scrumptious.' At which point Harry lightly smacked the back of her head.

"What? He is." She then leaned into Harry, "but not nearly as yummy as you."

Trying to choke back a snort of laughter Hermione continued once more. "Yes, er, well. Professor Wentworth and I still haven't worked out all of the details yet, but I think we will be able to iron everything out by week's end."

"So soon?" Harry asked.

"I can't be sure, these things can be tricky, but Linus, er, I mean Professor Wentworth assures me that it shouldn't take much longer than that."

"So it's Linus then, is it?" Ginny mocked.

She just shot Ginny a frustrated look and thankfully the girl took the hint and shut her mouth.

"Anyway, I just stopped by to let you know. You can relay the news to Ron."

"Why don't you do that yourself?" _Was Ginny always this infuriating, or is it just now that Ron has come home?_

"I think it'd be best if I kept my distance for now."

Ginny looked like she was about to make another retort when Harry clapped his hand over her mouth and said, "We'll let him know. Thanks Hermione."

"I'll let you know when we have it all worked out." With that she walked herself to the front door and left.

****

"What?!" The curt reply resounded before the door leading to Reynolds' office opened. "Oh, Mr. Weasley. What can I do for you?" He appeared less haggard than he had been recently, which was perhaps why the greeting almost seemed pleasant.

"Well, sir. I was wondering if you happened to have any openings in your department."

Reynolds scratched his chin in thought. "And I suppose that this would be a position for yourself?"

"Yes, sir."

More chin scratching. "Perhaps, but mind you it's a beginning position. You'd be bottom of the totem pole, not to mention the pay is rubbish."

Ron fiddled with his jumper. "How rubbish…sir?"

"I can't pay more'n sixty Galleons a week."

Ron considered this, for about two seconds, before saying. "I'll take it, uh, that is if you're offering, sir."

Reynolds considered for one more moment before giving Ron a curt nod. "See you here tomorrow at nine. And don't be late."

"So I got the job?"

"We'll give it a trial run, see how you work out." With that, Reynolds closed his office door, almost breaking Ron's nose.

Ron wouldn't have noticed though, he was so elated to be moving on to something other than a store clerk. He wasn't even taking that much of a pay cut, a mere ten Galleons a week, and living at home with his mum and dad would help to save plenty of money.

With a light heart, Ron practically skipped into the floo. He burst into Harry and Ginny's fireplace and stepped into their front sitting room.

"What are you so happy about, mate?" Harry asked, not seeming too shocked by Ron's unannounced entrance.

"Nothing much, just starting my new job tomorrow."

"Yeah? Where?"

Ron's face broke into – if it was possible – a larger grin. "The Auror department."

"Huh? Didn't know we were hiring. That's great though." Harry said as Ginny walked into the room carrying a bowl of curry and a bag of crisps.

"You couldn't wait for me?"

" Wait for you, what?" Harry asked.

"Wait for me to tell him that we can get his memories back." She rolled her eyes at Harry.

"Wai- What?" Ron looked between the two, bewildered.

"I didn't tell him, Ginny." Harry said through clenched teeth.

"You can get my memories back?" Ron asked to the room aloud.

Harry settled himself more comfortably on the couch and Ginny sidled in next to him. "We were going to tell you in a more… appropriate manner," he turned and glared at Ginny, "but seeing as that's ruined…"

"Oh stop beating around the bush." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Hermione found out why you lost your memories, and now she is working on a way to reverse it."

He took a minute to think this over. _Did he really want his memories back?_ He had been so adamant against it just a few weeks ago.

"How did I lose them?" His suspicion of Malfoy loomed in his mind.

Harry and Ginny shared a covert – or not so covert, seeing as Ron caught them – glance.

"Er… well…"

"It was Malfoy wasn't it?"

"Actually, no." Harry answered.

_No?_ _How could it not be Malfoy? Who else would have something to gain from wiping his memories of Hermione?_

"It was the work of some ancient artifact. Hermione is still looking into it." Ginny glanced at Harry in what looked to be relief.

_What were those two hiding?_

"An artifact?" Ron pushed.

"Yes, an artifact," Ginny picked up the story that Harry was weaving. "She found it in the Nott house. A trifle really, but it seemed to hold some pretty old magic, so she is just working out how to undo that. She said it wouldn't take too much longer, perhaps even a week." Ginny seemed to get a little too cheery towards the end, as if that would make up for or mask whatever it was that they were trying to hide from him.

"What if I don't want my memories back?"

"Oh, don't be stupid Ron, of course you do." She jibed.

"I'm not so sure. Why would I want to know how much I loved her and then watch her live married to someone else?"

"That's understandable, mate, but don't you think…" Harry began.

"Crap!" Ginny butted in. "That's not understandable. That's chicken shite. Man up, Ron." She dipped a crisp into the curry and took a crunchy bite.

"Why do people keep telling me things like that?" Ron mumbled under his breath.

"Probably because you need to stop sulking and start living, and the first way to do that is face the past and then either move on or do something about it." Another crunchy bite crackled through the room.

"That's disgusting, you know." Ron interjected.

"Well actually it kind of makes sense…" Harry began again.

"Not what she said." Ron gestured to Ginny, "Look at what the mad woman is eating."

"Don't knock it till you try it." She smirked and took another curry dipped crisp into her mouth. "Now as I was saying…"

"I get it, I get it. I am a little boy running from my problems… Merlin. And I was so happy just ten minutes ago." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I forgot. Why is that?" Ginny asked.

"He got a job in the Auror Department." Harry answered for Ron, seemingly thankful to be able to get a complete sentence out.

"Well that is good news. Have you told mum yet? She'll want to throw a family dinner in your honor. Maybe we can invite Hermi…"

"Well congratulations again, mate. See you at work tomorrow." Harry clapped a hand on Ron's back and walked him towards the fireplace.

Ron glanced back at Ginny's glowing face, and chewing mouth, and grimaced once more. "Yeah, tomorrow." He shouted 'The Burrow' clearly into the green flames that erupted at the pinch of floo powder and whooshed home.

As soon as he stepped foot in The Burrow he turned heel and went straight for the front door, hoping that his mum hadn't heard the floo and wouldn't come asking questions about where he might be going. He popped immediately from the front yard and into one in which he had never been before. Ginny had let slip where Hermione lived once, but Ron had never needed nor wanted to go before.

Now he had to find out what Ginny and Harry were hiding from him. If it had just been Ginny acting oddly he might not have noticed, but Harry's avoidance of… something, had clued him in that Hermione had information. Information that Ron needed to know.

He rubbed his sweaty palms along his sides and trudged determinedly up the front path towards a large manor home. His hand paused for only a second before rapping on the mahogany front door. He waited, but heard no movement inside. He knocked again a bit harder.

There was a pop behind the door and then a low mumble that he couldn't decipher, then the door opened and he was greeted not by Hermione or her elf but the sneer of Draco Malfoy.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure, _Weasel?_" Draco spat.

He hesitated, but then gathered his nerve. "I need to speak with your wife."

"Ah, so you noticed."

Ron wrinkled his forehead in confusion.

"That she is _my_ wife, you imbecile." Malfoy let out an exasperated sigh, then under his breath he mumbled, "Honestly."

"I noticed that you somehow managed to convince Hermione to marry you, yes." Ron nodded. "Now may I speak with her for a moment?"

"No." Malfoy began to shut the door, but Ron pushed his large frame forward blocking it from closing.

"I need to speak with Hermione." Ron gritted out slowly.

"And I said no. Now if you would excuse me." He made an effort to close the door once more, still unable to do so due to Ron's bulk.

"Malfoy, could you stop being a prat for one second and let me talk to Hermione?"

Malfoy looked at Ron in disbelief and then lowered his voice to a mere hiss. "I don't think that you, of all people should be calling me names, _Weasel_. If I were you, I would remove myself from this doorway before I hex your bits off."

"Draco, who's at the door?" A familiar voice called from behind Malfoy.

"No one, just an unwanted solicitor." Malfoy called back.

"Hermione!" Ron cried out in desperation.

Malfoy glared. Ron was glad that looks could not actually kill him. A small set of fingers pulled his arm back, and Ron met Hermione's bewildered gaze.

"Yes, Ron?" She asked in an even tone.

"I need to talk to you." He glanced over to Malfoy then whispered, "Privately."

"Anything you need to say to my _wife_ you can say in front of me."

"It's about the artifact that you found," Ron said, trying to make it sound like he might actually know more than he did.

Hermione nodded in understanding and Ron began to feel like he just might win, when she said, "As you can see though Ron, I can't tonight. Why don't you owl me and I will keep you posted when I know more." With those final words, she shut Ron out of the manor. He did not resist her attempts, and found himself staring blankly at the mahogany door once more.

She had completely blown him off. Sure, her husband was there, and yes, it was rather awkward seeing as they had kissed, but she couldn't take five minutes to explain to him what in the world was going on? He was frustrated, he was annoyed, but most of all he was angry. And it was with that emotion that he stormed home to seethe in his old bedroom.

****

"Sorry I had to run off your _boyfriend,_" Draco spat.

Hermione groaned, "He's not my boyfriend, Draco!"

"Maybe not, but you'd like him to be, wouldn't you? You wish that you had married him instead." He stared at her with his piercing, silver eyes. They were hard as stone, but she could have sworn that she saw a flicker of doubt.

"Draco." She ran her hand along his arm, trying to calm him, but it proved only to enrage him further.

Draco jerked back. "Don't touch me."

"Draco, please. We need to talk about this." Her eyes watered; she hated seeing him like this.

"There's nothing to talk about Hermione. You spent the whole day ignoring me. I can take a hint. I just wish you wouldn't go and invite your boyfriend over before I have actually left."

"Oh, come on!" Frustration niggled at her flesh and she clenched her fists in anger. "I go off for one day and you get all huffy. You left me without word for over two weeks! And as for _Ron_," She put as much emphasis on his name as she could, "I have no idea why he was here, or how he even knows where here is."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Draco scoffed, but his voice wasn't as coarse as it had been.

"Look Draco, we could go around in these circles all night. It won't solve anything, I am mad at you, you are mad at me. What we need to discuss is what we are going to do."

"Do?" He said it softly, and the small voice took Hermione back at bit. It was one thing to yell and be abrupt with a hateful Draco, it was quite another to do so with a sad, broken one.

"Yes, do." She reached again for his arm and this time he didn't pull away. "About us. We need to work this out. I can't go on like this, us fighting and ignoring one another."

"Do you want us to work out?" He asked. His eyes became liquid, and the silver swirled like mercury.

Hermione thought. She thought about everything that had happened in the last few months. She thought about the last few years. She thought about her marriage, her relationship with Ron. Then she nodded.

Draco wrapped her in his arms so tightly that she could barely draw a breath. He gently pulled her head back and she felt his warm, supple lips on her own.

Hermione meant it when she nodded. She wanted to make Draco happy, the way he had always tried to do before for her. She wanted him to know that their marriage meant something to her, that she did not take her vows in vain.

Their kiss intensified and quickly turned into more. His hands were needy, and grasped at her like a beggar for food. Hermione allowed her body to comply, trying hard to let go of everything but Draco. She needed to focus on him.

His touch was rough, frantic, but she preferred it that way. That way was easier, that way she would be more likely to be able to differentiate between her past and the present. This time, when he felt that she was about to reach her climax, Draco did not force her eyes on his. He held her to him, all but looking away from her. Hermione let him.

****

"Do you think he suspected anything?" Ginny was biting her lip with worry as Harry pulled on a pair of flannel pajama bottoms.

"Of course he did. He may be thick, but he isn't a complete idiot."

"What do you think he'll do?"

Harry jumped into bed beside her. "Probably something dumb."

"Like…"

"I dunno Gin, like go talk to Hermione. Like get pissed and sleep with an Asian whore. There are loads of stupid things that Ron could be doing now."

"You don't really think he's off sleeping with another hooker do you?" She looked more than worried now.

"No, I don't. Now stop stressing. Ron's a big boy and can take care of himself."

Ginny scoffed.

"Okay, well mostly. Besides, he has a big day tomorrow. He's not likely to screw that up by doing anything too stupid."

"I guess you're right."

"I know I am." Harry turned to face her. He brushed his finger across her lip, preventing it from further hardship from her teeth.

"You know, you're pretty sexy when you're being all confident."

"Am I?" He arched a brow and then bent his head down and kissed her with all the passion he had.

"Mmm hmmm," was all she could manage as he wrapped his fingers in her hair and pulled her even more closely towards him. How was a girl supposed to fret over her brother and his ex-girlfriend when there were distractions like this around? _Oh well, _she thought, and proceeded to entwine her legs around his waist. Those flannels weren't going to last very long.

**A/N: Let me know what you think.... How much do you Ron fans hate me right now? Please don't. I still have a lot more to write, but I couldn't in good conscience have Hermione choose Ron over her husband. Yes, she still has feelings for Ron, but she is Hermione and she made a choice by marrying Draco, and as Hermione I feel that she would stick by that decision. She does love him too...****  
****Anyway... massive thanks to my wonderific Beta Georgia Weasley... Although I accidently didn't give her the first part of this chapter with Hermione and Ginny so if there are errors there that is all me.****  
****Also thanks of course goes to you splendiferous readers and reviewers. Now I will end this novel length note.**


	30. Fighting the Draw

He hadn't slept well at all the night before. His mind kept wandering to Hermione and her flippant way of blowing him off. He tossed around, willing his thoughts to focus elsewhere. He tried recounting the past fifty years of Canon players only to find that it frustrated him even more when he got stuck on the 1989 keeper's name and ended up spending twenty minutes dwelling on that.

His mind slipped in and out of consciousness, and he couldn't really tell if he had actually slept at all. When his alarm went off at six in the morning he shot up like a bullet, just glad to have a reason to leave his bed.

His body felt heavy and his movements were sluggish. He showered, the heat of the water lulled his body into a more relaxed state. His shoulders slumped and his eyes closed. His body began to sag as his mind tried to slip into oblivion. Thankfully, he was able to jerk himself awake before falling.

When he arrived downstairs, the smell of bacon invaded his senses and his mind sharpened slightly. His mum was just setting a plate down in front of his dad when Ron plopped down on the bench.

"If you want some breakfast, dear, I'm afraid you will have to make it yourself," his mum said as she untied her apron and proceeded to hang it on a protruding hook.

"Wha?" He said blearily.

"I'm sorry Ron, but since you never told me that you would be joining us for breakfast, or in fact that you were staying here at all, I just didn't have time to prepare anything for you." The crispness in her voice stressed her irritation.

He rubbed at his face, trying to wake himself up. "I'm sorry mum. I got in late last night and didn't want to bother you."

She clicked her tongue.

Ron got up and went over to her, wrapping his long arms around her round form. In as soothing a voice as possible, he pleaded, "You wouldn't let your youngest son starve on his first day of work at the ministry?"

She jumped and squealed in delight at his revelation. "You have a job at the ministry? Doing what? Oh, my. Why didn't you tell me?" She proceeded to fire off questions, never leaving him with any room to answer any of them.

Ron stepped away from her and watched as she quickly flung her apron back on and proceeded to cook up a pan of bacon and eggs. He smiled broadly as he watched his mum, who was nearly bursting with glee for him.

"Congratulations son," his dad came and pat him on the back. "So which department will you be working for?" He asked, and actually left room for Ron to answer.

"I'll be in the Auror department." His mum squealed even louder than before and  
wrapped him up and a tight embrace.

"Oh, my little Ronnie is all grown up and is going to be an Auror." She continued to gush on while Ron shared a knowing smile with his father.

"That really is great news. We're very proud of you," his dad said in a calm voice as he pried his mum from about his waist. "Molly dear, I think the bacon is burning."

That had her rushing away to work on getting Ron's perfect breakfast.

"Thanks." He whispered to his father in a low tone.

His father just winked and went back to his own breakfast and the Daily Prophet.

Ron's parent's reactions woke him even further, and once he had pounded down six eggs and a good half-pound of bacon, Ron felt much more alive than he had when he 'woke-up'. His body began to hum with excitement for his first day. He nearly bounced over to the fireplace to floo into the office, making sure that he got there fifteen minutes early.

He stepped into the thrumming atmosphere of the Auror department and loped in easy, broad strides over to Reynolds' office. The door opened before he even had a chance to raise his hand.

"Ah, Weasley you're here early," he said as he looked at his watch. "Good. I've got a job for you."

Ron's heart beat with excitement. _He was getting an assignment already? _

"I need you to run down to maintenance and have them fix this damn lighting problem we've been having. Then you can go and make a pot of tea and coffee for the office. The break room is down and to your left." He nodded in the direction.

_Okay, so he was going to be the errand boy for a while. That was okay. He could do that, at least his foot was in the door, right? _

"Yes, sir." Ron replied formally and headed off to find someone from maintenance. The lighting overhead flickered, which caused him to bump into one of the Aurors. Papers went flying along with the scrawny Auror.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" A firm, yet young voice admonished him.

Ron looked down to see whom he had just plowed over and saw a small figure shuffling around to gather her files together. He made to help her out when she slapped his hand away.

"Don't. You'll only screw it up more," she huffed. Her hair was a dark brown and cropped short; she didn't look like she could be older than sixteen, at best.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't see you…" He trailed off when she shot him a hard glare.

She continued to gather her papers and Ron just stood, made an attempt to help her up when she was done –one which only caused her to snort, and then rise on her own- and then he headed down to maintenance.

Once the lighting was fixed and the coffee and tea were made, Ron headed back towards Reynolds' office, hoping that there would be something a little more productive that he could do.

Reynolds was talking to a small group of Aurors, so Ron just stood back and waited patiently. When their meeting finished, Reynolds looked over to Ron and grunted,  
"Laying about on the job already, I see."

Ron blushed and stammered out, "N-No sir. Just awaiting my next orders."

Reynolds just grunted again.

Hesitantly Ron asked, "Is there something I could be doing right now?"

"Pixie!" Reynolds bellowed. Ron looked around bewildered, not exactly sure what he meant by screaming out for a pixie.

Sure enough, the short Auror that he had run into earlier appeared. She looked flushed and even angrier than she had been that morning.

"Yes, sir," she bit out.

"Pixie, I need you to take on a new trainee. Pixie this is Ron, Ron meet Pixie. Now don't bother me again!" He swirled around into his office and shut the door in their faces.

It figured that he would be stuck taking orders from the crabbiest person he had met yet, but he shrugged it off and tried to start fresh. "Hey, Pixie, about earlier…."

She scowled at him, "It's Mitzi, not Pixie. Call me that again and I will hex your little bits off."

Ron blushed.

"Now, just do everything I say, don't speak unless asked a direct question, and we'll get along just fine."

Ron highly doubted that they would ever get along, but followed her orders as best he could. It was going to be a long day.

****

His hot breath tickled the back of her neck. At first she was startled, but then she remembered that she hadn't slept alone last night. She cuddled further into his arms and he let out a low, "morning" into her neck.

"Morning," she whispered, her voice sleep-filled and throaty.

He pulled her closer into him and gave her a tight squeeze before gliding out of bed.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I have to go back to Japan, I'll be in later tonight." He strode naked towards the bathroom and Hermione heard the water beating against the tiles in the shower.

She sighed; there was still so much to work out. She still felt that they needed to talk everything through. This sweeping it all under the rug would drive her insane, but she guessed it was okay to leave it for now. They could discuss it all when he got home tonight. Besides, she had to go see Linus and work out what they could to break the charm on the ring.

Draco came out of the bathroom just as she was pulling up her skirt.

"And where are you off to this early?" He asked, and though his voice was casual, his eyes probed her face carefully.

"I have some work I am doing with Professor Wentworth this week." It wasn't a lie, but Draco looked unconvinced.

"Yeah? What are you two working on?"

"Just a little charm that I found on an old Egyptian relic. I wanted to see if he would be able to break it."

"Does this have anything to do with the 'artifact' that Weasley mentioned last night?"

She tried to stop the color from draining from her face. She didn't want to freeze up, but her body's reactions were quicker than her mind and she knew in that moment that he saw it too. It was probably a good thing that he found out now anyway. It would be better if he knew the truth. So, she told him.

"Actually, yes it does. I found it at the Nott place, and it is what caused Ron to forget about me. I thought that I should look into the problem a little further."

Draco growled. "I thought we were going to work things out Hermione!"

She remained calm, though the anger that flashed in his eyes scared her momentarily. "We are, but this is important, too. I need to fix this ring. It isn't fair that he doesn't remember half of his life." She reached out to Draco. "How else are either of us supposed to get any closure with this hanging over our heads?" She pleaded.

"Ring?"

_Was that all he got from my speech? _

"Yes, it's a ring."

"Show me!" He demanded.

"I can't, I don't have it. I left it with Linus."

Draco sneered, "_Linus_?"

"Professor Wentworth." She corrected.

"Well then, go get it and bring it back."

"Won't you be in Japan by then? I thought you had to get back?"

"You would like that wouldn't you."

_What in the world… _

"What is wrong with you Draco?!" She stomped her foot in irritation.

"Nothing. Just bring back the ring tonight. I want to see it." He asked in that phony, light tone again.

"Why?"

"Why don't you want to show it to me?"

"Why do you want to see it so badly?"

"Because I do!" He spat.

"Fine," she said and took a step towards him, standing on her toes so that they were eye to eye. "But listen to me, Draco Malfoy. If you think that we are going to be able to work things out with you acting like a suspicious prat all the time, you have another thing coming. You have a right to be upset, but only to a point, and let me tell you right now, you are hovering over that line. Cross it and I am gone!"

He blanched slightly and even had the decency to look contrite. "Please Hermione, just show me the ring," he said in a calmer tone.

"I said I would, didn't I?" She let him kiss her good-bye and then continued to get ready for the day.

The argument that she had with Draco stayed with her all day, and it made researching the ring difficult. She felt guilty for how hurt Draco was over this, but she knew that finding the counter charm was important; not just for Ron, but for herself. If Ron was never able to remember what they had once shared how would she be expected to really move on? They would never be able to have the closure that she so desperately needed from him so that she could be true to Draco in more than just body.

Linus, thankfully didn't feel the need to comment on her distraction and just plowed on with the research. They sat mostly in silence, only speaking when one of them thought that they had found something useful, which wasn't that often.

When the clock chimed six Hermione thought it would be best to go home. Draco would probably be back by now. She took the ring from atop Linus' desk and tucked it safely into her pocket.

"You're not going to leave it here?" He asked.

"Not tonight. I need to show it to someone," she said vaguely.

He shrugged, and she left. Her feet felt heavy as she walked down Diagon Alley. She tucked her head down against the biting wind and trudged through the street, not paying much attention to anything.

If she had, she would have been better prepared for the confrontation that was about to take place. She wouldn't have missed his red head bobbing above those of the crowd.

****

He was exhausted. Not so much physically, as he really hadn't done too much that day, but mentally. Mitzi was just as sweet the rest of the day as she had been that morning when they first 'met'. He wasn't sure what got her knickers in a twist, but something surely had. He was partly relieved to see that she wasn't just hostile to him, but to everyone. Although it probably didn't help that the majority of the department continuously called her 'Pixie'. It didn't seem like they were doing to be mean though, more that they actually thought that that was her name.

He shook his head as he walked out of the Ministry and decided to take a side trip to visit WWW on his way home. He needed some lighthearted laughs and knew of no surer way to get them than by visiting his brother's shop.

He had just passed the block right before the shop when he saw a familiar mess of hair coming down the street. Her head was bent down and the wind whipped her hair into a frenzy like he hadn't seen before, but it was her.

For a second he thought about not disturbing her, but he so desperately wanted to know about what she had found out that he didn't let that thought stick. He made a bee-line towards her, pushing past the throng of people walking by.

When he was just an arm's length away, he reached for her and jerked her towards him.

"Now, about that artifact?" Ron said coolly, though he felt anything but.

She jolted at his touch and then again at his voice, but sighed resignedly.

"Didn't Harry and Ginny explain it to you?"

"Sort of, but I know that they left some of it out. What are they not telling me, Hermione?"

They were standing in the middle of the sidewalk and people pushed passed them, one jabbing his elbow roughly into Hermione's side. "Oomph." She couldn't help but cry out.

Ron smacked the man in the back of the head, shouted "Tosser" and then pulled Hermione towards a less busy side street.

She gave him a reproachful look, but he could see a smile behind her eyes that caused him to grin widely. "Sorry." He said, though he wasn't really. "Now about this artifact."

"Well, I don't know exactly what they did tell you, so how am I supposed to know what they didn't?"

"You can just tell me the whole thing. I'll let you know when it sounds new."

She nodded hesitantly but began her tale. "Well you see, I went to the Nott house when I first figured out about who might have taken you. I was in the dungeon," she cringed but continued, "The stairs broke, threw me back, and I found this lump while I searched around for my dropped wand. The lump turned out to be what I think caused your memory loss, at least of me. So I brought it to Professor Wentworth and we are now working on a way to get those memories back. He thinks it won't take too long, and we could possibly get it all worked out within the week." She looked up at him smiling a half smile.

Ron was not fooled, "This 'lump' you found. What is it?"

"Just an old Egyptian artifact, like Harry and Ginny said."

"Can I see it?" Ron asked, still not buying it.

Her eyes darted around the empty street, but there was nothing for her to fix on and eventually she looked at him again. He raised a brow in question. She sighed again in resignation and reached into her cloak pocket. Her small fingers brushed against his larger, rough hands and placed in them a cool metal object.

He stared down at the ring that looked so tiny and delicate in his hands. It didn't look familiar, but it sent a tingle up his spine. He could feel something pulsing in the ring, something that drove him to want to be closer than ever to Hermione. It took all of his strength to resist the pull.

He held the ring up so that he could get a better look at it in the lamplight. It was growing darker outside, and he could barely make out the delicate carvings etched lightly on the outside band. He ran his finger along it and could feel the tiny little grooves left behind, each one sending a new shiver of desire through  
him.

"What is it?"

"A ring."

He rolled his eyes. "I know that… but what is it?"

"It belonged to Merit, an Egyptian princess. It was given to her by her lover."

He looked more closely at the ring as she spoke.

"He imbued it with an endless love spell…"

Ron went white, but it wasn't her words that shocked him. He had just looked into the inside of the ring and read the inscription. While Ron may not remember the relationship that he had with Hermione, he would have had to be a complete moron not to realize that this ring had been intended for her. He had bought it to give to her… as an engagement ring.

"Ron?" Her fingers wrapped around his bicep and it sent molten lava through his veins. His head snapped up, and he looked straight into her eyes. They drew him forward. He tried, he tried with all his reason to pull away, but she was like a magnet and he could feel his head moving closer to hers against his will. It was stupid. She was married. It would ruin everything. His lips hovered over hers when her fingers left his arm and she took a step back, shaking her head.

She took another step, then another, and Ron watched as she then turned heel and ran out of the deserted alley that they had been in and back to the main road. He clenched his fists, and it was then that he realized that he was still holding onto the ring- the engagement ring. It bit into his hand and he squeezed tighter, so tight that it drew blood.

It was when he felt the ring pinch under his skin that he unclenched his fist and looked down at the ring that had once held his future. It had smears of blood on the band and there was now a brand of the ring in Ron's palm. He pocketed the ring and went straight to Harry's place.

**A/N: I would like to address a couple of the reviews that I received for the last chapter. I will say this one last time… This is a R/Hr fic, if you can't stomach Hermione ever being with anyone else, then I suggest you stop reading (though you have already read through most of that stuff). If this story was just going to be a quick fix then there would be no plot and would get boring. If you don't like it, then don't read it.**

**So... For those of you who can review and not be rude… what'd you think? How did you like Hermione standing up to Draco? What about the Ron/Hermione moments? What about the power of the ring...? Any thoughts?**  
**Thanks so much to all who have been reading and especially those who have reviewed. I love feedback, good or bad (just not nasty) :)**

**  
****To my beta. Thanks Georgia Weasley, you are aces!**


	31. Research and Development

She ran to the apparition point as fast as she could. Her heart raced, but not because of the exertion. It had been racing ever since she had run into _him_. It took all of Hermione's strength to pull away from him. She had made her decision, and kissing Ron again was not an option.

When she stumbled into the foyer of their manor home she hardly gave any thought to how she would appear, that is until she saw Draco standing at the top of the stairs. His cool grey eyes assessed her disheveled form and she scrambled to neaten her hair and clothing.

"I didn't realize that research was such a strenuous activity," he mused.

Hermione blushed slightly but then collected herself. "It's not. I just couldn't wait to get home, so I ran." She grimaced at her own lie.

Draco quirked an eyebrow and then strode easily down the stairs. "So, where is it?" He held his hand out when he reached the marble of the foyer.

Oh, shite! She thought as she scrambled to figure out what she was going to tell him now. "I forgot." Her voice was not as calm as she hoped it would be. "I'm sorry. I'll bring it by tomorrow."

His eyes went dark and she winced. "Tomorrow then, and don't forget." He said in a cool voice as he walked by her and towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" She had thought that he was going to be staying there. Isn't that what he had said this morning?

"To see Theo." He stopped and it looked like he was waiting for her to protest, but Hermione knew better. She wasn't going to start another fight. Not over Theo. Though she hated Theo for keeping this a secret and performing a memory charm on Ron, she couldn't actually blame him for it. He was doing what he knew to protect himself. It was low and cowardly, but he was a Slytherin after all. What more should she expect?

She scolded herself for that thought. Wasn't she married to a Slytherin? Sure, he had lied to her as well, but he also loved her. He protected her. The betrayal had been hers, not only in thought but also in action. It would do her good to remember that.

****

"Ro…" Ginny opened the front door to see her brother standing there, his face was pale and his hands clenched.

"HARRY!" Ginny called up the stairs as she opened the door wider to let Ron in.

Harry poked his head around the corner and looked down the stairs. He looked as if he were about to say something when he spotted Ron and came barreling towards them.

"Ron, mate, you okay? Was working with Pixie really that bad?"

He was trying to lighten the mood, but his words had no effect on Ron. Ron just walked into the house and towards the kitchen, not saying a word.

Harry and Ginny followed behind. Ginny mouthed, "What is wrong?"

In which Harry's only response was an eyebrow raise.

"Hermione?" Her lips moved silently.

Harry just shrugged, but the look in his eyes confirmed that that was exactly what Harry was thinking as well.

"Do you think he knows?"

"I know." Came Ron's reply and Ginny jumped back. He was standing in the doorway looking back at them. "Why didn't you tell me? Why do you insist on keeping these things from me?" Ron's face was getting redder by the second, anger now replacing the shock that had evidently been there before.

"I was trying to protect you." Ginny said weakly.

"And you Harry? Were you trying to protect me too?" He scowled.

"No. I was trying to protect Hermione."

Ron was quiet for second then said, "From me?" His voice lacked the disdain that it had held just moments before.

"Look Ron, I know that you are confused. I know that this is not easy, but Hermione is married, and having you come around and question her and her marriage isn't helping anyone. I didn't want to give you another reason to go after her."

"I wouldn't have." Ron looked at his shoes.

"Maybe," Harry shrugged, "but I wasn't going to bet on it."

Ginny, who had been shocked by Harry's revelation, decided to make her voice heard.  
"What would have been so bad if he had gone after her?"

Harry just looked at her with pity. Pity! She didn't need his pity, so when he came forward she shrugged his hand away and stared coldly into his emerald eyes.

"You have to stop this, Gin. You have to let Hermione choose for herself. You can't keep forcing Ron onto her. She is MARRIED! How would you feel if Hermione suddenly decided that Cho was a better match for me and kept insisting that I hang around her?"

"It's not the same," Ginny said petulantly. "You didn't love Cho, and you're not married to Malfoy."

"Ginny…" Ron said hesitantly, "Harry is right. You have to stop. It isn't helping anyone. Hermione is married. She made her choice when she said her vows. There is no choice for her to make now. All you're doing is hurting her, and me."

"But, she loves you. I know she does. She just feels obligated to Draco. I can't just sit around and watch as my brother and my best friend live in misery apart when I can do something about it." Why didn't they see that she just wanted their happiness?

"You can't, though. You can't do anything about it. What's done is done. You have to let us move on. You have to let me move on." He turned his head away from them and looked blankly at the wall. "I can't do this anymore," he said dejectedly as he swept passed them and out of the house.

Ginny couldn't help the tears that welled in her eyes. Her throat closed up and she sank into one of the chairs. "Am I so horrible?" She sobbed.

Harry came forward and patted her back soothingly. "No, Ginny, not horrible. You love your friends and your family. I know you are only trying to help, but you really can't help with this. You really need to let them decide for themselves."

"I know," she choked.

And, Ginny did know. It just pained her so much to see them both so heartbroken. She hated watching Hermione pretend as if she was unaffected. She hated seeing that dejected look come over Ron's eyes whenever he thought of Hermione. Most of all Ginny hated feeling helpless.

Her sobbing slowed and she was able to collect herself.

"You okay?" Harry asked looking down lovingly at her.

"Yeah, m'okay. I'll be good. I promise."

Harry chuckled and swept a kiss on her forehead. All Ginny could think was how grateful she was that she had him, that they had finally come together and would be that way forever.

****

Ron lay stretched out on his small twin sized bed, his feet hung over the edge even after he had done an enlarging charm on the bed. He tossed the ring high into the air and caught it, an act he'd repeated countless times since he had come home from Harry and Ginny's place.

His mind seemed to be on pause and all he could focus on was the rising and catching of the small circle. It was an effortless endeavor, calming his racing thoughts so well that he had been at it for over two hours.

A small tapping at the window interrupted his activity. He looked over to see a rather small brown owl perched on the sill. Not wanting to get out of bed, Ron flicked his wand towards the window and watched as the owl hopped its way towards him. There was a tiny scroll attached to its left leg, which Ron removed quickly.

The owl stayed by his side, watching as Ron read the little note. Its beady eyes were staring at him and uneasiness settled into his stomach.

_Ron, ___

_Please send the ring back with Boris. I will be happy to answer any further questions that you might have through owl post. ___

_Hermione Malfoy_

He couldn't suppress the sting of seeing her surname attached to the end of the missive, its intention clear. She was reminding him that she was married. Why else would she put her last name at the end? It's not as if there were many Hermione's wandering around requiring rings from him.

Boris fluttered his wings in impatience, and Ron lurched from his musings. He wrapped the ring back up in the same scroll that Hermione's note was on, sealing the sides so that it wouldn't fall out. There was no need to respond. There was no need for any more communication between them. She had made her point clear, and Ron was not going to pine over a married woman. He knew all he needed to know from their discussion earlier.

Hermione would work to get him his memories back, memories of her, but she would be gone. She would fill in the past so that she could disappear from his future. He sighed and tied the scroll back to the owl's leg. Boris gave Ron a small wink and then, with a hoot, he left him to his own silent musings.

No longer having the ring to toss about, Ron lay on the bed and couldn't stop the onslaught of depressing thoughts. He tried to direct his mind in a more productive manner, but found that every time he promised he would forget her; that he would give her up, his thoughts would betray him and his heart would constrict at the idea.

Not wanting to endure another day with Mitzi as exhausted as he had been that day, Ron took a nice dose of dreamless sleep and fell to sleep in moments.

****

Boris came back quickly and Hermione grasped at the scroll. She didn't know what she had been expecting. She had clearly given Ron the brush off, but when she saw her note returned with no answer other than the ring, Hermione couldn't help the pool of disappointment that settled in her chest.

"What's that?" His smooth voice called from behind her.

She jerked, not having heard him enter the room, but turned around easily.

"I thought you were at Theo's?"

"As you can see, I am not. So what was that?" He pressed on.

Hermione held out the ring for Draco to see. "I felt bad that I forgot it, so I sent Boris to retrieve it for me." She crumpled the piece of parchment and shoved it into her pocket. It wasn't incriminating, she hadn't done anything wrong, but she just couldn't bear to have Draco know Ron had had the ring. She didn't want the questions and the inevitable argument that would come with the weight of it.

Draco came forward and Hermione dropped the ring into his outstretched hand.

"So what have you discovered so far?" He actually sounded more curious than accusing.

So, for what felt like the millionth time, Hermione once again delved into the story of Merit and Rasui.

"And these carvings on the front?" Draco asked.

"Are the endless love enchantment." Draco's eyes went blank for a minute and then they were back to inquiring. He went on to ask of the research that she had been doing with Wentworth and if they had found anything that might prove useful in ridding the ring of its charms.

He didn't even show a reaction when he read the small inscription on the inside of the ring. Hermione was beginning to think that Draco might even want to help in this endeavor, which could prove to be very beneficial considering his knowledge about charmed antiques. His family's vault was full of them.

"So I know what you are doing about the memory charm, but what of this endless love?"

"Well," she started, looking at him out of the corner of her eye as she instead focused on her twisting fingers, "we haven't been able to get a lot of headway on that part. Linus, I mean Professor Wentworth, thought it would be best if we broke the memory charm first. Then maybe Ron could even help with breaking the other charm. It's a bit confusing really, how the ring transferred itself to our… situation." She looked up. Draco's eyes were blank, unreadable. It worried her more than she wanted to admit.

He placed the ring atop a small round end table, brushed a light kiss on her cheek and then left the room. Baffled did not even begin to describe what she was now feeling.

**

The next day's research proved to be almost as fruitless as the one before. Hermione had risen to an empty bed, though she knew that he was there when she had fallen asleep. His reaction from the night before worried her, so she pressed Linus for as much information as she could get about love spells.

She had done minor research on them for her book, and of course, she had read some for leisure, but she hadn't run across too many that didn't involve a potion of some kind.

"The problem with love spells is that they can be really unsteady," Linus began as he pulled a book from one of the piles on the floor. "That is why you will find them used so little. Potions are the worst sort, but even the strongest love potion is only temporary. A love spell, however…" He thumbed through the book and then placed it back in the pile exactly where it had been. "…that is a completely different thing all together. It doesn't make the person feel anything that they hadn't felt before. It draws on their existing feelings, making them stronger, more permanent." He pulled another book from the stack.

"You can't create a love spell from nothing. It is more of a reminder, a binding, if you will. It guarantees that the people involved will always be 'in love'" He sat down as he opened the new book and flipped through the pages until he found the one that he was looking for.

He shoved the book towards Hermione. The heading on the page read Love Magic. She perused through the detailed description of the different types of love spells; the ones for permanence, those used for temporary gain and greed, but the most important were those created out of 'pure love'.

A 'pure love' spell was one that could only be cast between two people who were in love on more than one level, the people that would be able to love one another until after death. Those spells, as Linus had said, were not created to bind as much as to promise. They could not be broken easily, and only a handful of documented cases in which people tried existed. To break a 'pure love' spell would cause irreparable damage, making it so those involved would never be able to feel whole again.

Hermione didn't worry so much about that last spell. She had never made that type of promise to Ron. Sure, they had talked of marriage, and yes, she had loved him, still did if she was being completely honest with herself, but she had never performed that type of magic. Didn't the fact that she was able to marry someone else prove it?

"So which one of these do you think it is?" Hermione was trying to sound casual, though there wasn't much point.

"You would be the better judge of that." He quirked an eyebrow at her, his dark hair fell lightly into his hazel eyes. Clinically she knew that he was an attractive man, but looking at him all she wanted to see was a pair of crystal blues in a freckled face. She shook her head. That wasn't right.

_Bad Hermione!_ She scolded herself. She meant storm grey with a pale complexion.

"I think probably one of the minor binding spells." She coughed out.

Again, Linus raised a brow at her, but didn't comment, and they worked the rest of the day in complete silence.

**A/N: So what did you think? Any thoughts on Draco's calm reaction to it all? What about the love spell? Any theories? ****  
****Thanks goes out to my beta Georgia Weasley.****  
****As always thanks to you, readers and reviewers, I hope you are enjoying still. **


	32. Inner Turmoil

Ginny was going to be a very good friend. She had made some ginger snaps and was bringing them to Hermione. She felt as if she had hardly spoken to her since all of this began. Perhaps that was slightly her fault. Maybe if she hadn't pushed so heavily to get Ron and Hermione back together she wouldn't feel this distance that had grown between them lately.

She rang the bell and stepped lightly into the front hall when Twinkles answered the door. The elf asked to carry the tray of cookies, but Ginny refused. She wanted to bring this to Hermione herself. She wanted to apologize, and having a cookie while she did it would make it that much easier.

"The mistress is not in, but she should be back soon. If you is wanting you can sit in the mistress's room." The elf pointed towards the back parlor that Hermione loved so much.

Twinkles was about the lead her back there, but Ginny hated feeling like a guest in her best friend's home, so she waved the elf to continue what it was doing and headed back there herself.

She had just passed the rather large ballroom when she heard a muffled sniffling sound coming from what she knew to be Draco's study. Slowly she crept forward and peered into the room. The shock of what she saw caused her to drop her tray of cookies, and the plate clattered to the floor, creating an echoing clamor that coincided with the hammering of her heart.

Draco looked up, his eyes red and puffy, but even through the moisture that pooled under his lids Ginny could see the rage swarming.

"I'm sorry…" She willed her feet to move, to run.

"Get. Out." His voice was hoarse, but stern.

Still Ginny could not seem to find her legs. _Oh, no, I have no legs! He's cursed them off. _  
"GET! OUT!" He screamed as he rose from his seated position, placing both hands upon the desk and glaring at her with a fire in his eyes from which she could not look away.

A small wrinkled hand pulled at her skirt. Ginny looked down to see the elf tugging at her fiercely; trying to help her get away. Her body finally responded and though her belly was bulging slightly, and she hadn't really had a run since she found out that she was pregnant, she found her feet moved as fast as ever.

She hurled herself into Hermione's study and didn't wait to listen for the sound of echoing footsteps in the hall. She threw the floo powder into the flames that were flickering in the fireplace and called out the first thing that she could think of.

"The Burrow" reverberated throughout the empty room, only heard by rather large bat-like ears.

****

He had just sat in the worn out chair by the fire, an ice-cold bottle of Scales Pale Ale opened, when the flames in the grate turned a startling shade of green. A second later, a flustered and frantic Ginny popped out of the fireplace.

"Gin?!" Ron spit some of the cool liquid that he had just imbibed.

"Ron. Oh, crap! I'm at The Burrow." She looked around the room as if his presence wasn't confirmation enough of the fact.

"Of course you're at The Burrow. How else would you have gotten here unless you called it in the floo?" Ginny's obvious state of disarray unnerved him.

"I meant to go home. I need to talk to Harry." She looked around once more, probably hoping that by saying his name he would just appear.

"What's going on? You look awful."

"Gee, thanks," she said as she moved to get more floo powder.

"No, really Gin. What's going on?" Ron stood and grabbed her hand mid grasp.

"It's nothing. I just need to be with Harry."

"What are you keeping from me now? Merlin, Ginny. I'm a grown man. Stop hiding things from me!" He hadn't meant to shout, but at her evasiveness, something in him just snapped. He was sick of being kept out of the loop, only to stumble on the truth at the worst times.

"Really Ron, it's nothing to do with you. I just have to see Harry!" Ginny's color was up as well.

"Yeah, right. I've heard that one before. You're hiding something from me Gin, and I want to know what it is." He looked down at her sweaty face and saw the fear in her eyes. He backed away from her. He hadn't meant to scare her.

"Gin, I wasn't going to hurt you." He said weakly.

The fear vanished immediately and was replaced with concern. "I didn't think you were. Ron, really, I'm telling the truth. This has nothing to do with you. Please understand, I just want to be with Harry right now."

It was then that he did understand. Ginny wasn't afraid of him, she was afraid of whatever, or whomever, was in her previous location.

"Did someone threaten you?" It was the first thought that occurred to him. After what he had gone through with his kidnapping, Ron would never think any of them were truly safe.

She shook her head, but tears started to form behind her eyes.

"Who is it? Who hurt you?" He pressed.

"N-no one, Ron. No one hurt me. Now please. Let me go."

He shook his head. "No, I don't think you should be going anywhere."

"I need…"

"I'll go get Harry. You just sit and rest for a minute okay?" He gave her a look of concern before turning towards the floo and throwing some powder in.

Ron knelt on the floor, his head stuck in the fire as green flames lapped around his neck and shoulders.

"Harry!" Ron called out into the empty room. No answer. "HARRY!" Louder, his voice slashed through the silence of the house. Still no answer. He inhaled deeply and bellowed out as loud as he could, "HARRY!"

There was a shuffle from up above and then the pounding of footsteps could be heard from the hallway. Next moment he saw Harry in only a towel, hair wet and dripping down is face. "What is it Ron?"

"It's Ginny. She came to The Burrow just now. She's real upset, mate. I think you should come over. I didn't want her traveling alone in the state she's in."

"What's wrong? Is she is okay?" His irritation morphed quickly into panic.

"I don't know, she won't say anything other than that she needs to see you. She looks okay, just scared."

Harry moved towards the fireplace.

"Er, perhaps you should throw some clothes on, yeah?"

Harry flushed and then turned heel and flew back up the stairs. Ron popped back into the sitting room at The Burrow and saw Ginny looking at him expectantly.

"He'll be in shortly. Caught him a bit unawares." He started to chuckle, but broke off at the look of discomfort on Ginny's face.

****

When she arrived home from Linus's, Hermione was greeted by what appeared to be a frazzled Twinkles.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

The elf nodded her head emphatically. "Yes miss. I is okay."

There was the sound of footsteps shortly after, and the elf shot a worried look over her shoulder.

"I is better be getting tomorrows menu ready," and with a loud crack the elf was gone from the entryway.

Just after the pop of apparition, Draco entered the hall. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were a bit puffy.

"Draco?" Hermione questioned. She hadn't ever seen him this upset.

"Yeah?' He looked up at her distractedly, as if he hadn't even noticed she was standing there.

"What's going on?" Hermione stepped towards him in an attempt to look closer at his face.

He turned his head away and headed towards the stairs. "Nothing," he muttered as he climbed away from her.

She followed him, her foot taking the first step, when he whirled around. The intensity and sadness in his eyes scared her. He pulled her in and kissed her, harder than he had ever kissed her before. It was filled with sadness, with need. It was filled with a thousand good-byes. As abruptly as it started, Draco pulled away. His face blank now, he headed further up the stairs.

She made to go after him, but his voice rang out, "Really, it's nothing, Hermione. I've had a long day and need to be alone right now." He hadn't even turned around, and continued up towards their bedroom.

Confused, but not wanting to fight with him again, Hermione decided to curl up by the fire and enjoy a nice book. It was something that she hadn't had the chance to do in a while. A half an hour later found her staring blankly at the same page on which she had started.

No matter how hard she tried to focus on the words, she wasn't able to prevent all of the weird encounters from playing repeatedly in her mind. They ranged from her first meeting with Ron to those confrontations with Draco. She especially focused on his behavior tonight. She had never seen Draco break, not in all the times that she had known him, either as an enemy, a friend or a lover. The only time she even knew about him showing such emotion was from Harry's version of their run-in in sixth year.

What could have caused Draco to become so upset? She worried her lip as she considered the possibilities. It could be a business transaction gone wrong, but that didn't sound like something that would upset Draco. Perhaps something was wrong with his father? Or maybe his mother? However, part of her didn't think either of those things would be so bad.

The only thing that could possibly get him so worked up would be something to do with her. But what? What could cause him to be so upset? She had chosen him; he needn't worry anymore. Hermione was determined to stick to her word.

After another half an hour, Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She had to know what was going on. She rushed up the stairs, but she opened the door to her bedroom and saw Draco already curled up and apparently sound asleep. She could barely make out the sound of his light snoring over the wind that came through the opened window.

She went to shut the window and looked over at Draco's sleeping form. His face seemed tense, even in sleep, and she brushed aside the hair that had fallen onto his eyelids. He didn't stir. She shut out the cold night air, and when she turned back, she noticed a small vial on the nightstand by Draco's side of the bed.

He must have taken something to get to sleep. That was also very unlike him. Usually he was able to fall asleep easily at anytime. It was something of which she had often been jealous. Her mind rarely shut down at lights out. She highly doubted that she would get any sleep tonight, in fact.

At that thought, she decided that she might as well take a sleeping potion, too. It had been a while since she had had a good night's rest. Normally she eschewed taking anything to help her sleep, afraid that she might become addicted, but once in a while wouldn't cause any harm.

So she went into the bathroom cabinet grabbed one of ten vials of pale green liquid, slipped on her pajama's, crawled into bed and then downed the elixir. Not five minutes later, she was peacefully asleep.

**

Again, Hermione awoke to an empty bed. It was much later in the morning than she normally rose. Through bleary, sleep-filled eyes, Hermione looked around the room and noticed that there was something decidedly off.

She couldn't determine right away what unsettled her, but there was definitely something wrong. Brushing the odd feeling aside, she went to take a shower. It was when she got into the large stall that she figured out what was bothering her.

None of Draco's things were there. There was a red soapy ring next to her bluebell-scented shampoo where his Viper Shampoo, usually stood. His razor was gone, along with his soap and his toothbrush.

She rushed out of the shower, her hair only partially wet, and went to the cabinet. His aftershave, his other toothbrush, and the entire supply of sleeping potion were gone.

Panic settled in her chest as she swept the rest of their bedroom. His silver comb, his robes, everything of Draco's was missing. She was about to pull on her dressing gown and head downstairs to question Twinkles when she noticed a crisp white envelope sealed with Draco's family crest in green wax.

Her fingers shook as she opened the letter, and she was clumsy enough to get a paper cut. Hermione sucked on the offending slice as she more carefully opened out the letter.

_Hermione, ___

_I'm afraid I can no longer pretend that you love me. Seeing the look of determination instead of passion in your eyes has haunted me long enough. I know that you still love Weasley, and I know now that you always will. There was a time when I thought I could convince you otherwise, but I am able to admit now the impossibility of that. ___

_I thank you for the chance that you gave me. For the love that you tried so hard to give. I am a better man because of you. Which is why I am able to do the most unselfish thing I have ever done, and let you go. You will always have a place in my heart, and I will forever be… ___

_Regretfully Yours, ___

_Draco _

She didn't even feel the tears that were now rolling down her cheeks. She was almost as pained by her feeling of relief as she was by her feeling of failure. It hurt her to realize that he was right, that she had never loved him the way that he deserved, that she probably never would have.

She was a horrible person. She took advantage of his protectiveness. Of the way that he loved her. His love had come so unexpectedly, they had to fight so hard to be accepted, that she lost sight of what she truly wanted amid all the tumult that their relationship had created.

No matter how hard she tried, she had never, not for one minute forgotten about Ron, though she had tried. Oh, how she had tried. Her analytical minded yearned to move on, because that what was normal, what was healthy, so Hermione had blocked all of her feelings. Had told herself that it was unnatural what she still felt for him.

All those repressed emotions came flooding back, and she suffocated in them once more. She pulled the ring out from her robes pockets, unable to leave it behind since having it back last night, and her tears spilled onto the cool metal surface. The salt water flowed into the tiny etchings that lined the outside of the band.

Just when Hermione thought that she wasn't able to cry anymore, a new wave of remorse, regret, and worst of all, shame would pull them from the depths. There were no trails down her face, as they came down in torrents instead of mere drops.

She cried for Draco, she cried for Ron, but most of all she cried for herself and for how stupid she had been and how many people she had hurt in the process.

It was well into the evening when Twinkles found her naked form, curled up on the bedroom floor, fingers wrapped once again around the ring, holding onto it for dear life.

**A/N: I am ducking from all Dramione fans. Please don't throw things at me please! As for the Ron fans… tell me how much you love me! Anyway... what did you think? How was the letter? What do you think is going to happen next? I am sorry that it took a while, but good news is that I have completed NaNo and written over 50,000 wds in less than a month. The sequel to this story will hopefully be completed before I am done posting the rest of this.**


	33. Flood of Memories

After hearing Ginny's weird tale the night before, Ron took the sleeping draught again. Mitzi had proved to be even more annoying the second day and Ron needed to be alert in order to deal with her snappy retorts.

He was working through Mitzi's files, putting them in alphabetical order by name, when a debilitating pain rushed through his head, causing him to see black. Ron was kneeling on the floor of Mitzi's cube, his head in his hands, his whole body shaking, when she came in.

"What do you think you're doing? I leave you alone for one minute you decide to take a nap?!" She pulled on his hair and screamed when she saw that his eyes rolled back into his head.

"Help!"

Ron heard her yell as if it was coming from far away. _There was a flash and a he caught a glimpse of a bushy haired girl curled up under a bathroom sink._ Another throb shot through his head. _He was looking at the same bushy haired girl, slightly older and completely still, lying on a hospital bed._ It didn't take him more than those two visions for him to realize that these were memories of Hermione that he was experiencing.

Before he had time to even think about that though, another scene shot before his eyes. _This one consisted of a flustered Hermione, holding on tightly to her cat, yelling in frustration at him._ More memories flooded his mind, so many that he began to lose track.

He could feel hands clasping onto his own, but didn't know if it was a memory or if it was something that was actually occurring.

_His hands were exploring, her naked skin felt warm and wonderful to his rough flesh._

He was heaving, retching onto the floor in front of him

_She was whispering in his ear as they watched Harry talking to Cho in the Room of Requirement, her breath tickled his neck and he put his hands further into his pockets, afraid that he would be unable to hold himself back from touching her. _  
He felt himself lifted and held upright.

_She was screaming and crying, her periwinkle dress robes swished around her ankles as she stormed up the stairs._

He felt a jolt work through his body and he heard spells shouted through a muffled haze.

_She smacked him lightly on the head with a rolled up Prophet, a smile playing on her lips that she tried to hold back. _

A hand smacked him across the face. His eyes fluttered open and he groaned, grasping his head firmly in his hands.

"It's about time!" A familiar grating voice huffed. Mitzi stood to his right, a look of… was that relief?... on her face.

"You alright, mate?" Harry's voice, filled with worry.

Ron couldn't speak; the words would not come. He just shook his head and slumped into a chair nearby. He had drawn quite the crowd, most of the Auror office was staring down at him, all with differing degrees of interest in their faces.

Mitzi conjured a glass of water and shoved it towards him. When he couldn't move his hands to grasp it, she gently – well as gently as was in her nature – put the cup to his lips and tilted it back.

The water slid down his throat, cooling the heat that had been building in his body while the memories invaded his mind. He drained three glasses before he felt able enough to speak.

"I remember." He choked out.

"Good then perhaps you could fill us all in," Mitzi broke in.

He looked at Harry, who upon one glance seemed to understand what Ron was trying to say.

"She did it."

Ron just nodded. The rest of the Aurors seeing that Ron was okay began to disperse, no longer interested in what was going on.

"Who did what?" Mitzi demanded.

"Hermione." Her name felt strange on his tongue, as if he hadn't truly said it in years.

"You mean Granger?" Mitzi's voice had lost all of its edge.

"No, Malfoy." That name felt even odder, and it sent a horrible shot through his entire body that caused him to shiver. Mitzi put a small hand on his shoulder, which steadied him.

"What did Hermione Mal… do.?" Mitzi stopped mid name at the onset of Ron's shaking again.

"She brought his memories back," Harry said as he continued to stare at Ron.

"He didn't have his memories? How in the world did he get a job here?" Mitzi was incredulous, and it was her attitude that brought him out of his haze more than anything else did.

"I had memories. Well, most of them." Ron tried to stand, but his legs felt unsteady underneath him and Mitzi pushed him back into the chair. "I just didn't remember her." He said in a quieter voice.

"Who, Hermione?"

_Merlin, would the inquisition ever end?_

"Yes, Hermione," Harry answered for Ron.

Mitzi was about to open her rather large mouth once more when Ron cut in, "She was my best friend, my girlfriend. I lost my memories; she got them back. Now can we move on? I have filing to finish."

For once Mitzi was speechless, something for which Ron was extremely grateful. Harry tried to push Ron to go home, or to tell him something, but Ron ignored them both. He needed to work, some activity to take his mind off everything he had just remembered.

His brain throbbed in his head, his fingers were shaky, but Ron plodded on. Harry went back to his desk but continued to pass by every so often.

Mitzi stayed quiet the rest of the day, he could feel the sympathetic glances that she shot his way, but he ignored them as he ignored everything other than the task at hand. He hadn't noticed the office thinning, or people saying their good-bye's at the end of the day. The next thing he knew it was seven and he was alone in the office, well alone except for Mitzi anyway.

He started to put on his cloak when Mitzi spoke.

"I'm sorry I've been such a bitch. I didn't know…"

"Does it really make a difference?" He asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Perhaps."

"S'okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

Mitzi gave a weak smile and then Ron headed home alone, though he didn't count on staying that way for long. If he knew Harry and his sister, they would be waiting for him.

Minutes later Ron stepped into The Burrow. He had been right.

****

Hermione found once again that she had closed herself off from the rest of the world. Although this time, she could account some of that to Twinkles. The elf had blocked all contact points, both magical and muggle, in order to protect Hermione. During the week and a half, she hadn't even noticed the passing of time or even if she had had anything to eat.

She was both sad about her break with Draco, and relieved that it was finally at an end. She felt the sting of failure and the flutter of freedom. The opposing feelings warred within her, causing her body to shut down.

When she awoke from her cocoon, it was to see Twinkles once again sitting in the chair by her bed. The elf looked more careworn than ever. She felt a new twinge of guilt, one that sat heavily alongside every other emotion that she had been indulging in.

Hermione still felt the weight of all that had passed, but now she was slowly regaining the feeling of self that had always been forefront in her. She showered, she ate, and she looked over the post. Several scraps of red paper and scorch marks covered the front table where letters had detonated. Hermione could only imagine the content of those howlers, most of which probably came from Ginny.

There was a scroll from Linus, the edges singed along the right hand side. He asked where she had been, if he was to continue with their research, and if so, would she send the ring back. There was a bill from Madam Malkin's, and several notes from Harry, Ginny, George, and Molly. Each one asked where she was.

The worst was the invitation, which had gold lettering, requesting the attendance of Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. It reminded her once again of her failure and regrets. She put the stack down and decided that she would finish going through it later.

She needed to get out of the house, away from everything that would remind her of both Ron and Draco. Therefore, she decided to go and visit her parents. She hadn't really talked to them much since returning from Japan. Just a quick missive letting them know she was back in the country.

She drove. The feeling of being in control of something put her mind at ease, if only for that half an hour.

Her mother was in the front yard, stooped over and digging along the walk.

"What on earth are you doing?" Hermione managed to chuckle at her mother's hunched form.

She looked up and wiped a stray curl from her brow with her arm. "Oh, Hermione, I wasn't expecting you." She rose and removed the rather large gardening gloves. "I was getting ready to plant some marigolds."

"Mum? You do remember what happened the last time you decided to plant anything."  
Her mum huffed, "That's not fair, one mistake with a palm tree and no one will let me live it down."

"Perhaps that's because we live in England, palm trees won't grow here. Honestly." Hermione shook her head with a large smile on her face. She knew that coming here would be a great distraction. It felt nice to smile; she couldn't remember the last time that she honestly had.

"It was just an experiment. Besides, marigolds will grow wonderfully here. See." She pointed across the street at Mr. Shumacher's lawn to see it lined with the beautiful red, orange and yellows.

"Yes, well that is . Maybe you should consider having him do your lawn as well."

Her mum sighed, "I am going to ignore that. Now what brings you by?"

"Nothing, can't a girl just want to spend some quality time with her parents?"

"A girl can, but you usually don't."

"Now who is being unfair?" Hermione pouted, it was true that she hadn't been as close to her parents ever since she had found out that she was a witch, but she still enjoyed spending time with them. They were her parents, and she loved them.

"I'm sorry. Come in and I'll fix us something to snack on."

Hermione followed her mother into the house where she was greeted by the sight of her father watching the telly in nothing but his bathrobe.

"Didn't feel like getting dressed today, I see." Hermione grinned cheekily at her father.

"Why should I? It's Sunday and I have nowhere to be and no one to see."

"What about me?" Both Hermione and her mother said at the same time.

"Well you weren't supposed to be here, were you? And you, Helen, have seen me in much less." He gave Hermione's mum a quick wink. "So what are you doing here, Hermione? Everything okay?"

She shook her head slowly and felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes once more.

Her mother pushed her towards the couch and sat her down.

"What's wrong, dear?"

Hermione opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it once more. The words were stuck in her throat. How was she going to admit to her parents what a failure she was?

"Is it something to do with Draco?" Her mother asked.

Hermione nodded.

"Can't you tell us?" Her father prodded.

After a second Hermione answered, "I'm so ashamed." The tears that she had been holding back burst forth. _When had she turned into such a crybaby?_

"About what? Hermione, you're scaring us." Her mother came and sat down beside her, wrapping her up in her warm embrace.

She cried on her shoulder for a while, no one speaking, just the sound of muffled sobs coming through her mum's arms. Then her mum pulled back and looked hard at her face. She wiped the tears away with her delicate fingers.

"Please tell us what's wrong."

"Draco has left me." Hermione said in a flat voice moments later.

"That rat bastard!" Her father burst out. "How dare he abandon my little girl?!"

He would have continued in that manner had Hermione not stopped him, "No daddy, he was right to leave. I don't love him. Well, not the way that he deserves. I just…" She paused and took in a harsh breath, "…I've failed. I couldn't even stay married for one year. I promised to be with him for the rest of my life. My word doesn't count for much, does it?" She looked down into her lap, her fingers played carelessly with the edge of her jumper.

"Oh, honey!" Her mum pulled her in again. "You didn't fail. Marriage isn't something that you win or lose at." Her mum brushed her hair with her fingers as she rocked Hermione gently.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Her dad asked, less enraged, but more concerned now than before.

"Ron," came Hermione's muffled reply.

"Ah," both of her parents sighed at the same time.

Some more time passed and Hermione began to calm. Her sniffles all but completely disappeared. She pulled away from her mother and stood. "I don't suppose it'd be all right if I stayed here for a little while?" She asked.

"No, of course, stay as long as you need," her mum said.

"I just don't think I can go back there, not yet."

"We understand Hermione. It'll be okay," her dad's gentle words soothed her further.

She knew it would be okay, she knew that this too, would pass, but at the moment the opposing feelings warred within her. Most prominent was the guilt at her relief.

"I'll just go and gather some things."

"Would you like me to come?" Her mum asked.

For a second Hermione considered going alone, that this was something she needed to do on her own, but then she thought better of it. Being with her mum had already helped so much. So, she nodded her head and led her mother to the car. They spent the journey home in companionable silence.

****

It had been the most frustrating two weeks that Ginny could remember. She had sent nearly a dozen howlers to Hermione with no response. Her brother was walking around like a zombie. Every time she saw him, he had a glazed over expression. He went about his daily tasks easily enough, but she could see how detached he was from it all.

Not even Harry's attempts to take him out and talk had worked. Ron stayed inside himself. He didn't share his newfound memories with anyone. Ginny suggested that he go see a Healer, but he shrugged that off immediately.

She had even gone as far as to look up Professor Wentworth, but the old man who opened the door wouldn't let her past the main entrance. Not to mention that Ginny had been unable to get anywhere near the front gate to Hermione's home.

"No luck in getting a hold of Hermione then?" Harry asked when he walked into the kitchen that evening.

Ginny was sitting on the counter licking the back of a spoon.

"No, no luck. I tried to get through the gate again today, but I wasn't even able to touch it. How's Ron?"

"Same."

"Merlin! I wish I knew what was going on in his head. This is driving me insane."

"Me too. He won't talk to anyone but that Mitzi woman."

"Mitzi? I thought her name was Pixie."

"Yeah, so did I. Apparently it's not, and Ron got in a right snit when I called her that today."

"You don't think that they're…"

Harry shrugged.

"He can be such an idiot sometimes. He can't keep running to the first girl he sees whenever he gets upset about Hermione." Ginny jumped down from the countertop and threw the spoon into the sink.

"You don't have to lecture me about it." Harry said defensively.

Watching Ron had been just as frustrating for him, Ginny acknowledged and moved to his side. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed his middle. "I'm sorry. I'm just so worried about them both."

"I know," Harry squeezed back, "I am too." He broke away and moved over to the countertop where he put the lid back onto the peanut butter jar. "Nott's case is coming up. Maybe Malfoy will be there. I can try and find out what's being going on with Hermione then."

Ginny nodded. "I think I'm going to go to her parent's house tomorrow. Maybe they know what's going on."

It was Harry's turn to nod. "You want me to come with?"

"Nah, more than likely they don't know anything either. It's not like Hermione spends loads of time with them. It'll only take maybe five minutes."

****

Hermione had spent a couple of very peaceful days at her parents' home. They didn't question her further about the split with Draco, but whenever she needed to vent her mum was always there with a compassionate ear.

Being with them had done her a world of good, and even though she was still battling within herself, she felt that she would be better. Not anytime soon, but one day.

Three days after her initial arrival, a knock at the front door broke into what had started as a quiet afternoon. It was probably Mr. Shumacher with those bulbs that he had promised her. Hermione had taken over the task of setting up the marigolds. The quiet chore helped to settle her mind, and she looked forward to her time spent in the dirt every day.

However, she met, not Mr. Shumacher, but the freckled face and small belly of Ginny Weasley.

"HERMIONE!" Ginny squealed and hugged her fiercely. "Where have you been? I have been trying to reach you!" Ginny's initial excitement about seeing her friend quickly wore off, and Hermione could see the anger settle into place.

"I have been trying to reach you for two weeks!" She admonished.

Hermione widened the door to allow Ginny entrance. She walked towards the sitting room and took a seat on the couch. Ginny followed behind, and Hermione waited for her to situate herself before beginning.

"I'm sorry, Gin. It has been a very rough two weeks."

Ginny, who looked about bursting hesitated before responding, "Hermione? What's going on? How did you reverse the memory spell? Why weren't you home?"

Hermione broke in, "Reverse the memory spell? I don't know what you mean. I haven't done any work on the ring in the past two weeks." She felt her heart constrict and she fisted her hand by her chest, as if that would stem the pain.

Ginny looked on confused. "I don't understand. If you didn't reverse it, then how did Ron…"

Hermione was breathing heavily now, which forced Ginny to come to her aid.

"Hermione? What's going on?" Her voice was frantic and Hermione tried to speak, to say something to quell her friends fears, but the panic attack that had set in was too overwhelming.

Ginny grabbed her wand from her robe pockets and conjured a glass of water. She held the glass to Hermione lips and rubbed small circles on her back in an effort to calm her labored breathing.

Finally, Hermione was able to choke out, "He remembers?"

"Yes, he remembers. We thought you did something."

Hermione shook her head.

"Then how?"

She shook her head again, "I don't know."

"If you didn't bring his memories back then why did you leave? What happened, Hermione?"

She looked to Ginny with a pained expression. "Draco is gone. He's left me."

There was a gasp from the red head, and then her face began to grow red. "How dare he? Who does that rotten little ferret think he is?"

"He is a man who deserves to be loved. Don't blame this on him. He was right to leave."

Ginny looked on incredulously.

"He was. I couldn't love him the way that he needed. I tried so hard. He was so good to me."

"We are talking about Malfoy, you know."

Hermione huffed. "This is why I didn't come around. I can't talk to you about this. You hate him too much. He was good to me, he loved me, and he doesn't deserve your derision."

Ginny sat still for a minute and then said, "You're right. I haven't been a good friend, but don't expect me to praise him. He loved you. It's probably the only good thing he has ever done. But while I will try to be there for you on this, I won't pretend that I am not thrilled that he is gone. I don't like him. He is sneaky, and has done and said horrible things. You are lucky to be rid of him…" Hermione shot Ginny a scathing look, "…but from now on I will hold my tongue. He is-was-your husband and you have every right to be upset. I am here for you."

It wasn't exactly what Hermione would call an act of good will, but she knew that she wouldn't get anything more from Ginny on this subject. Ever since Ron had returned, Ginny's hatred for Draco had come back tenfold.

"So when did this happen?" Ginny asked more soothingly.

"Two weeks ago. When I woke up he was gone, all of his things were gone; there was a note."

"He left you in a note? Sorry, sorry. I'll be good."

"I don't think he would have been able to do it any other way."

Hermione felt grateful that Ginny didn't say 'coward', though she could see her friend aching to utter the word aloud.

"He left because he knew; he knew that I didn't love him. Not the way that I love..." she paused, collected herself then continued, "He said I never would and he couldn't continue waiting for me."

"What day, exactly?" Ginny plodded on.

"Tuesday. I woke up late, maybe ten or so."

Ginny looked thoughtful. "Tuesday was the day that Ron got his memories back. It happened sometime that morning, from what Harry said. Do you think…"

The sentence trailed off and left a resounding echo in Hermione's brain.

"It would make sense." She finally said. "Once the marriage is broken, or accepted to be broken, the spell could break." Her mind began to run more clinically than emotionally. She was in her element. The webs that had developed around the inner cogs of her mind over the last two weeks were pushed aside as the analytical part took over.

"Maybe I'd better go see Linus. He would know more about this than I would. Can you tell me anything about how the memories came on?"

Ginny shook her head. "Ron hasn't been very talkative lately. In fact, he hardly talks to anyone except that Mitzi girl he works with." Ginny scowled, but Hermione ignored both Ginny's displeasure and the pang of jealousy that hit at the mention of Ron connecting with someone else.

It was irrational, this incessant wanting of him. She should be mourning her relationship with Draco, not pining over Ron. A headache started throbbing in her temples, and she rubbed them as she tried to focus back onto the problem of how Ron got his memories back.

"I'll let you know if Linus and I come up with anything. If you need me you can reach me here." Hermione ushered Ginny out of the sitting room and through the front door. She just needed to be alone for a little bit. She needed to process everything that she'd heard.

**A/N: So a long chapter for me, and one with memories for Ron! About time, right? So what did you guys think? How was the revelation of the new memories? What about the grief that Hermione was going through? ****  
****Thanks to all of you wonderific readers and especially you fantabulous reviewers. You guys ROCK! I loved hearing from so many of you about the last chapter.****  
****Thanks definitely goes out to my Spleniferous Beta Georgia Weasley. You are aces!**


	34. The Aftermath

That first night had been the hardest. Harry and Ginny's insistence that he talk about it, when all he wanted to do was mull over everything alone, drove him mad. Somehow he managed to convince them to let him be for the time being.

He spent the entire night looking through all of his new memories. Some of them made him laugh, others made him blush, and most of them brought with them a sadness that he could not suppress. After the sadness, a new anger arose in him.

It was one thing to know that Hermione had married Malfoy after Ron had disappeared, that he had shared a relationship with her, that he felt an odd pull towards her. Now that he actually remembered their past, the betrayal was that much worse.

To remember how happy they had been, how much he had loved her. How excited he was on the day that he bought that infernal ring. It all hurt so much more that she had gone off and married the ferret. How could she ever have loved him and done something like that?

Though his heart broke for wanting to be near her, his anger took over. He didn't care if he never saw Hermione ever again!

He'd spent the last two weeks at work with Mitzi and at home with his parents. His mum would fuss over him, but his dad was able to temper her enthusiasm most evenings. Mitzi, it turned out, was not such a bitch after all.

Well, she still was, but for some reason she had decided against being one to him. It was easy to be around her because she didn't prod him for information about his past. She didn't coddle him every moment of the day.

She would listen when he said something but would rarely add her two cents. It was starting to develop into a comfortable friendship, one that had no ties to Hermione Malfoy.

"Hey Pixie, I need you to summarize this case for me. Can you have it to me by two?" Sondheim, one of the Senior Aurors, tossed a file in Ron and Mitzi's direction.

She scowled at him, but the Auror was already on his way and did not notice.

"Why does everyone call you that anyway?" Ron asked. He had itched to know from the time he first started, but only now felt that she might not kill him for asking.

"Nickname from an ex," was all the response that she deigned to give him.

Ron was curious to know more, but did not press his luck. Almost an hour passed before Mitzi broke their silence with, "Captain thought it was cute. He insisted on calling me that and it stuck, even here. I wish people would just quit."

At first Ron had no idea what she was talking about, or who Captain was, but it didn't take him long to figure it out. 'Captain' was obviously her ex. It was a stupid name if you asked Ron, but with the middle name of Bilius, he couldn't really comment.

"I don't think people realize that that isn't your name." Her eyes narrowed and Ron tried to smooth over his comment. "What I mean is that I don't think they know that it bothers you. Some of them have probably been calling you that so long that they forgot that you have a different name. Maybe you should correct them the way that you corrected me. I noticed you haven't threatened to chop anyone else's bits off. Maybe you should."

"Yeah sure, a Junior level Auror is going to tell someone like Sondheim what to do. He'd think of a threat from me as nothing more than a joke. Besides, I have stopped trying; they don't seem to listen anyway."

"They might listen to Harry."

"Since when does Harry Potter give a damn about what his fellow Aurors call me?" She shoved the file from Sondheim into her in-basket.

"Since he's my best mate and I asked him to care."

She looked up at Ron, her face still holding the same scowl that she always seemed to wear. Her mouth twitched slightly at the corner and then, to Ron's utter astonishment, she smiled. It was amazing what a smile did for her face. She was cute, there was no denying that, but her permanent scowl had marred any of her appeal. The smile cut beautifully across her face, giving her a small dimple in her right cheek.

"You would do that? For me?"

"Sure," he shrugged, "what're friends for?"

She kept her smile in place the rest of the day. She didn't even seem to mind when Reynolds called her Pixie seven times in one meeting. Her smile was so infectious that it caused Ron to grin as well, something he hadn't done since his memories had returned.

****

"He's left her?" Harry scratched at his head, mussing his hair up even more.

Ginny nodded, trying to keep the smile from her face.

"You're smiling?" He shook his head at her in disappointment.

"I'm trying not to."

He just stared at her, his eyes piercing into her own.

"Okay, I'll stop. It's just, well, now they can be together. Ron has all his memories back, Draco's out of the picture, so there is nothing standing in their way. Is it so horrible for me to want them to be as happy as we are?" _There! He couldn't argue with that logic. _

"Please stay out of it, Gin. I'm sure Hermione is in no state to run off with Ron, and Ron is definitely not in any type of state to run off with her. Let them heal. If it's meant to be, it'll be."

"You are no fun," she pouted.

"And you, Mrs. Potter, are having way too much fun at both your friend's and brother's expense."

"I'm doing it_**for**_ them, not _**to**_ them." _Why couldn't he understand? _  
"Did our little talk mean nothing to you? Just stay out of it. And if you don't, Ginevra, I swear on Godric Gryffindor that I will punish you." He looked stern, something that always got Ginny's blood boiling, but in a very naughty way.

"Punish me will you?" She shot him a cheeky grin. "I'd like to see you try."

"Oh, I won't just try…"

Ginny let out a large squeal as Harry lunged toward her.

"You can't…" She breathed out as she ran around the other side of the kitchen table. "Remember. I'm pregnant with your baby…"

He jumped on top of the table and dove towards her.

"You wouldn't want to damage your unborn child."

She moved to the left and swung one of the chairs into her place. Harry fell ungracefully into it.

"Ow! Come here you little witch." He reached out for her and his hand clutched onto the hem of her jumper. He pulled her back and into his lap, where she plopped heavily onto him.

"Merlin, you are getting fat."

She punched him in the arm.

"Sorry, what I meant to say was. You are looking mighty delicious, and if it's all right with you I would like to spoil my dinner." He bit lightly into her neck and she sighed easily into him.

"I'll be good, I promise," she whispered before he took her senses over completely.

****

"Ah, Mrs. Malfoy. I was wondering if I was ever going to see you again." She flinched at the sound of her name, but stepped into the library where Linus was lounging with a book propped open in his lap.

"Yes, sorry about that. It's been a rather busy couple of weeks." She sat lightly on the opposing sofa. "I actually have some interesting news."

He closed the book around his index finger and raised an interested brow.

"It seems that the memory charm has worn off." Hermione tried to make her tone light, but hardly succeeded.

"Worn off? These charms don't just wear off, my dear." He reached towards an end table and grabbed a small red strip of cloth. He placed it gently into the book where his finger had been and lay the book down next to him.

"Now tell me, what really happened?"

She gulped and took a moment to decide exactly what she would say. "Well," her voice was weak, "a couple of weeks ago…"

"About the time you stopped coming to see me." It was a statement, and Hermione just nodded her head in recognition.

"Around the same time that Mr. Malfoy and I decided to end our marriage…" She looked up, but his expression hadn't changed.

"Ron apparently got his memories back." She breathed out the last bit, exhaling it from her lungs.

"Well then I guess you don't really need my services do you? It seems you have it all worked out." He made to open the book once more.

"That's the thing. I don't really understand it all. I mean, how did the ring know that the marriage was dissolved? We haven't made anything official. There is nothing to say that he couldn't come back and everything would be as it was. I just want to understand it."

"While you were off on your little sabbatical, I happened to continue my research, though I wasn't sure that you were ever coming back." He stood up and walked over to his desk. "I found some interesting information. It seems that the bonds of the ring are invoked by blood and tears."

Hermione flinched at the idea. Blood magic was very dangerous.

"Now, of course we can't know all the exact details of how it happened, but my guess-and that is all that it can be called-is when Mr. Weasley was taken," he pulled up some parchment from his desk and brought it back over to the seating area, "somehow some of his blood managed to get onto the ring."

He placed the parchment into her lap.

"If his love was deep enough, the ring would have acknowledged it. Once the acknowledgement was made, the magic would have only needed to search for the recipient." He looked up at Hermione once he situated himself back on his own sofa. "It found you. If there had been any tears, which I imagine that there would be given the circumstances, and those tears were also filled with love, it would have bound your love together."

Hermione broke her eyes from Linus and looked down at the parchment that he handed her. It was an intricate love spell that went further into detail about its casting.

"But wouldn't there be some sort of incantation? Something to trigger the spell to know that we wanted to be bound in that way? And if it was just the love spell that was cast, then why did the memory charm work as well?"

"Because the two spells are intertwined," he said matter-of-factly.

"But then, why didn't the love spell end when the memory charm ended?"

He arched an eyebrow at her, a gesture that was beginning to rile her. Then she blushed when she realized what she had admitted.

"It is simple; the love spell didn't end because the love isn't gone. Whatever you did to trigger the memory charm to end, it still showed acknowledgement of your love for Mr. Weasley."

"What about the incantation?" She was searching now, trying to find some reason through all of the insanity.

"Why should there need to be an incantation when both of your intentions were clear?"

She rose, annoyed at his cool manner, so similar to that of Draco's, yet so different.

"But they weren't clear. I married someone else. I loved someone else." She stomped her foot down.

"Did you?" There went his eyebrow again, it took all of her willpower not to rush over and tear at his face.

"Yes!" Hermione said, determined to have her say.

"Look Hermione, I am not going to pretend to understand what you feel, or felt, for Mr. Malfoy or Mr. Weasley. I can only tell you about the power of the magic behind this spell. It wouldn't have been able to cast itself were your intentions not true. It would not have broken the memory charm had your love really ever faded, not that it was likely with that type of binding."

"So is the love not real then? Is all I feel for Ron a spell? Did I put Draco through torture because of some hocus pocus bull shit?" She clasped her hands over her mouth; swear words had never fallen naturally from her lips, and never in front of practical strangers.

"Oh, no. The love is quite real. Like I told you before, the binding doesn't create love, it enhances it; it ensures it. You didn't fall under some spell. You love Mr. Weasley as much as you ever did."

"So, blood and tears?" She thought aloud. Perhaps it was when she had cried over her divorce. Maybe her tears of relief and guilt had fallen onto the ring and triggered something. It was an idea. It hurt her to think that her own tears had betrayed her. That she wasn't even able to fool a stupid ring, but she had been able to fool herself. That she had convinced herself that her love for Draco would somehow grow enough to outshine that which she felt for Ron.

Linus seemed to sense her inner turmoil and came to sit beside her, clasping her hands in his; a warm gesture from such a cool man.

"I know how difficult it is to want to do the right thing, to have your heart pull you one way and your head another. You're a young and, if I may say, beautiful woman. Don't waste your time on the how's and whys."

"You're no old man yourself." Hermione blushed and focused on the pattern of the couch.

"I feel as if I am," he said quietly.

They sat in silence. Hermione wondered what had happened in Linus's past to make him so reflective. It was more than likely some girl, a tragic romance that ended badly. She knew all about those.

**A/N: I know that there wasn't a lot of action, but I hope the information supplied made up for it. What do you think of Linus? I personally love him! How did you like the explination of the spell? ****  
****Thanks so much to all who are reading and especially those who are reviewing, I love feedback, it makes my day. ****  
****To my totally wonderful beta Georgia Weasley, you rock my socks!**


	35. Roadside Snog

She had spent most of the week either with her parents or with Linus. His company was easy because he held no ties to either Draco or Ron. She could just sit there and read from his vast library, or occasionally they would have rousing discussions on various topics. They were all limited to academia, neither one brave enough to delve further into the other's emotional baggage.

She had just come home from one such visit when two owls came barreling towards the window, a heavy packet in between them. Her editor must have finished the book! It couldn't be more perfect timing. She wanted to get Linus's opinion on it before it went to press in early December.

She opened the window wide enough to let both owls come through. They dropped the large package on the table, causing the plate atop it to rattle.

She handed each of them a piece of toast before digging into the package, anxious to see what her editor said.

It was obvious from the start that she had been mistaken. Instead of a note from her editor, there was a signed letter from A. Greengrass, Solicitor. Her stomach dropped. It was not her book at all, but divorce papers.

She scanned each of them dully, not really paying attention. Hermione felt oddly detached and was surprised to find that she didn't even feel the need to shed a tear. She was to get a monthly stipend to live on as well as their manor home and the car. She felt a bit shocked that he was willing to give up their home, but supposed that he would probably be moving into Malfoy Manor and would inherit that eventually anyway. Sooner, rather than later, if Lucius's health didn't pick up.

She was even more taken aback to see that he had given her Twinkles. Twinkles had been in their family since Draco's birth, when the Notts had given her to them as a gift to celebrate the first-born Malfoy. She supposed that while Draco appreciated Twinkles, he knew that Hermione would have been sad to be without her.

It was all too generous. She couldn't take everything from him. So instead she crossed out the manor home and reduced the stipend a significant amount and only for six months, just enough to get her back on her feet until she could find a job. She then signed on the dotted line – along with fifteen others – and sent the owls back on their way.

It was as if a huge weight lifted from her shoulders as she watched the birds recede into the distance. She stood by the window long after the small dots of the owls had become no more. She was getting a new start. A second chance.

****XXXX

Ginny looked out of the corner of her eye as she sat in the kitchen of the burrow. Ron sat at the end of the table, hastily eating his steak and kidney pie.

"So, Hermione signed the divorce papers a couple of days ago," she said conversationally to her mother. Harry jabbed an elbow roughly into her side, but she just shot him a winning smile.

"Is that right?" Molly glanced over to Ron, though her gaze was more pointed than Ginny's had been.

"Yeah. It's finally done. She is free and clear of the ferret."

"Ginny. That is not nice," her mum admonished, but her lips quirked up in a little grin.

Ron, for all intents and purposes, seemed to be ignoring the both of them and instead focused on forking a piece of steak into his mouth.

"How about those Canons? Looking good this season," Harry broke in.

"Season hasn't begun yet, Harry." Ginny flashed a smile at him.

"Yeah, but they got that new keeper. He should really beef up their game." He tried to engage Ron.

"He's all right," Ron added, though his head was still down.

Harry grasped onto the topic with fervor. "All right? He's more than all right. He is brilliant. Did you see that save he made last year against the Wasps?"

"'Fraid I missed that one." Ron mumbled.

Harry flushed in embarrassment. "Oh, yeah, right, well then."

The room went silent.

"I've heard you're making quite the impression over in the Auror department," her dad interrupted.

Ron's cheeks flushed pink. "Yeah?" He looked up, a small smile breaking through his sullen expression.

"Yeah, Reynolds's said that anyone who can put a smile on that Pixie's face must be a miracle worker."

Ron's frown came back, and he responded tersely, "Her name is Mitzi, not Pixie."

"Oh, sorry I thought…"

"Well you were wrong, weren't you." Ron put his fork and knife down and pushed back from the table. "If you don't mind I'd like to be excused."

"I do so mind," Ginny's mum said. "Now you sit down and eat the rest of your dinner. I made a special dessert for you, and you are going to stay and eat it."

Ron sighed and pulled himself back towards his plate.

The sound of silverware on plates clattered noisily in the otherwise silent room while they each finished off their dinner.

The special dessert was banana pudding. Ron hated banana pudding. Ginny, however, loved it. She dug into the dish greedily. Harry sat beside her, taking surreptitious glances every so often in Ron's direction. She could tell that he was getting worried about him.

She was, too. Sullen Ron she could handle, but _this_ Ron--this I-don't-want-to-have-anything-to-do-with-anyone Ron-- was hard to take. He wouldn't look anyone in the eye and avoided everyone as much as possible.

After only a few bites of his pudding, Ron pushed away from the table once more. This time he did not ask permission, rose quietly, and headed up the stairs. Ginny poked Harry in the side and gestured towards the stairs with her eyes.

He got the hint and went to follow. Her mum was about to object when Ginny shot her a look and shook her head.

Trying to fill the awkward void, Ginny chatted endlessly about plans for the baby's room. She was thinking of doing a Quidditch theme. She had just told them about the crib she intended to buy that had slats made out of old broom handles when a loud crash rang from above their heads.

Her mum went to get up, but Ginny stood and pushed her back down. "Harry will work it out. Just let them be for now."

Her mum didn't look happy, but she sat back down and they all pretended to be very interested in the plans for the nursery.

****XXXX

He had come up there for peace and quiet. When he heard footsteps behind him, he turned around and scowled.

"What do you want?"

"Stop it." Harry said easily.

Ron ignored him and continued up the stairs and to his room. Harry followed.

"Can't you just leave me be?"

"I've let you be long enough. What's going on with you?"

"You know damn well what's going on with me." Ron slammed the door to his bedroom.

"No, mate, I don't. You won't talk to me, or Ginny, or anyone other than Pi…er... Mitzi." Harry came around and sat down on the edge of Ron's bed.

"What's wrong with Mitzi?" Ron bit out.

"Nothing that I know of."

Harry's calm demeanor only infuriated Ron more. He wanted Harry to be angry, as angry as he was.

"Look, Ron. I am not going to pretend that I know what you're going through. I don't, mostly because you won't tell me. But we're worried about you."

"Well don't be. I'm fine."

Harry crooked an eyebrow.

"You're right; you have no idea what I am feeling. You couldn't possibly understand. It's not that I won't talk to you and Ginny. It's that I don't want to."

Harry sat back further on the bed and stared at Ron.

"Why?" Harry finally broke through the tense silence.

"Why? Because every time I look at either of you I am reminded of her."

"Okay." Harry nodded his head in understanding. "She's getting a divorce now, you know?"

Ron shot him a scathing look. "How could I not know? It's all Ginny will talk about."

"So maybe you could try to… patch things up."

"You've got to be bloody joking. She married Malfoy!" His anger began to resonate throughout his body. He needed some sort of outlet or he felt he might explode. Harry's calm demeanor only fueled the fire. He wanted to hurt something. He wanted to punch, maim, or kick the ever-loving shite out of something. Instead of letting his anger out on Harry, he ended up forcing his desk to the ground.

The breaking of wood and shattering of a couple of inkbottles resonated throughout the room. The sound almost eased some of his anger… almost.

Harry flicked his wand towards the desk and everything flew into repair, put back to its original state.

"So what?"

"So what, what?" Ron was confused, his short bout of released rage made him temporarily forget what he had been saying.

"So what if she married Malfoy? She is leaving him now."

Ron stared at Harry, who was still relaxing easily on his bed. _How could he not understand? _

"So what? So what? You can't be serious. He's Malfoy! He is the symbol of all things evil and horrible in this world, and Hermione went and _married_ him. She forgot about me! She left me for dead and married the one person in the world whom I hate more than anything."

Harry's calm demeanor abruptly changed, and his voice lowered into a growl.

"You are wrong! Hermione never forgot about you. Not for one minute. Stop being a selfish prat for once in your life and recognize just how devastated she was. She cried herself to sleep every night for over two years. Malfoy, who may be a git, was there for her. He helped her get through the pain of losing _you_. She married him because she felt she owed him. You were gone. Was she supposed to wait for you forever?"

"I was kidnapped!" Ron yelled.

"Yes, but how was she, or any of us, supposed to know that you would ever return? We all thought you were dead. Did you expect her to become an old maid on the off chance that you might someday return?"

"But I did return," Ron said a little less forcibly.

"And we are all grateful for that, but you can't hold what happened while you were away against her. You have to stop this rubbish. You have to stop ignoring me, you have to stop bypassing Ginny, and you definitely have to talk things out with Hermione. Even if you two can't get it together, how else are you ever going to be able to move on?" Harry stood and took a steady look at Ron. "I will see you tomorrow."

With that, Harry exited the bedroom, leaving Ron with only his thoughts and a too small bed.

****XXXX

A week later, Hermione was walking through Diagon Alley with Linus. He had just brought her by a small bookshop that Hermione had never heard of when she suggested that they go for lunch.

They turned a corner when Linus suddenly grabbed her hand and whispered, "I'm sorry, you can slap me later."

Then, quicker than she had time to react, he kissed her. She stood stock-still, not exactly sure what in the world was going on. When he pulled away a second later, she looked full into the sight of a red-faced Ron.

He was standing beside a small girl with short-cropped hair. The girl's face held extreme loathing, and Hermione felt baffled at why she would direct such a look her way. She did not know that witch, nor did she care to at this point.

The short haired girl grabbed Ron around the collar, a mighty feat considering the height difference, and pulled him towards her. He did not seem to put up much of a fuss when their lips met.

Ron's eyes never left Hermione's face. The kiss continued well past a normal peck on the road, and with every moment that passed Hermione grew more and more saddened. It was too late; she would never be able to get him back now. That was what he was trying to tell her, he had moved on, and he seemed quite pleased about it.

She brushed a stray tear from her eye and pulled Linus away, headed down the direction they had just come from. When they had walked far enough away from the sight that would sear into Hermione's brain for weeks to come, if not forever, she finally looked over at her friend.

She was about to berate him for kissing her like that, she was sure that it had invoked that horrible display from Ron, but when she turned her head all she saw was a ghost. His face was pale white and sweat poured from his brow. A second more and he would probably vomit.

"Linus?" She brushed the back of her hand across his forehead, but did not feel a temperature.

He didn't respond.

"Linus…" She pulled on his arm. "Let's go back to your place. You don't look very good."

He looked very similar to how she felt, in fact.

They popped outside of Linus's manor home and she led him towards the library, where she laid him down on one of the couches.

His body stood stiff and he didn't blink. Hermione began to get worried.

She called out in the hall for help, and the slippered man from her first visit came waltzing into the room.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir, but something seems to be wrong with Li… Professor Wentworth."

"Oh, something does, does it?" The man moved closer to the couch and took a good look at Linus. "What's wrong boy?" The man snapped. He poked Linus's shoulder, but elicited no reaction.

"Hey!" He shouted, and clapped his hands loudly in front of Linus's face. There was still no movement from the professor.

Then the old man slapped Linus across the cheek, the smack was so loud that it made Hermione wince. A red hand mark shone brightly on Linus' left cheek. Linus blinked.

"Is anybody home?" The old man knocked on Linus' head.

Linus blinked again, twice, in rapid succession.

"I know you're in there boy, now come out!"

Linus groaned and lifted his hand towards his cheek.

"See," the old man said, "he's fine. Just a rotten faker, he is." The old man looked daggers at Hermione, as if she had interrupted him for something so trivial, and then sauntered out of the room without so much as a look back at Linus.

Hermione rushed closer to the couch. "Linus, are you okay?"

He rubbed his cheek. "I am not," he said succinctly.

"What in the hell just happened?" Hermione said a little more shrilly than she intended.

"Ah, yes, sorry about the kiss. I got a bit carried away, won't happen again."

She had forgotten about the kiss while she had been trying to revive Linus.

"Not the kiss you fool!"

"Oh, well. I believe I had a bad reaction to some pixie dust that must have been on the street. It happens from time to time. Don't worry about it. I'm all right now." He sat up, the welt on his cheek beginning to swell.

"You should do something for that." Hermione gestured towards his cheek.

"Yes, yes," he said distractedly, as he rubbed at his reddened face again.

"Can I ask you something?"

Linus nodded.

"Who is that man?"

"That's my Grandfather. This is his house, actually."

"Really?" Both eyebrows rose along with the tone of her voice.

"Yes, really." Linus's voice sounded more defeated than before.

"Well that's nice, isn't it? That he lets you stay with him."

"There's nothing nice about it. I do it out of necessity, that's all."

Hermione didn't know what to say to that, so she stayed quiet. The awkwardness filled the room. Hermione picked carelessly at a hangnail as she tried to think of something else to talk to Linus about. She didn't want him growing more downtrodden than he already appeared to be.

She wasn't able to come up with anything, and by the glazed look in Linus's eyes, she didn't think that he would be able to either. So even though she was filled with curiosity, she left it alone for the moment, deciding instead to go home. She had some thinking of her own to do anyway.

**A/N: ****So let's hear it... what'd you think? Does anyone want to kill Linus or Mitzi at this point? Any fun theories? What about Ron's talk with Harry? And how about that nice A. Greengrass hint? Love me, hate me, tell me :)**


	36. Explanations

"Now, don't get me wrong Mitz, that was nice, but what the bloody hell?"

Mitzi was staring at the spot that Hermione and the man she had been with were just moments before. She didn't seem to have heard him, so he shook her shoulder gently.

"Hey, snap out of it."

She looked up at him, fresh tears floated in her eyes. Mitzi was crying, something that Ron didn't think she was capable of.

"What's the matter?" He said in a softer voice.

"Nothing," Mizti choked out. Her face set and the tears suddenly seemed to dry up. She turned heel and began walking in the opposite direction, her back straight and legs stiff. Ron jogged a couple of steps to catch up with her, for such a small girl she could really set quite the pace.

"C'mon Mitz, you just up and snog my brains out and you expect me to believe that nothing is wrong?"

"Drop it," she said sternly.

"No, tell me," Ron persisted.

"I said drop it!"

Ron pulled her by the arm and swung her around; she squirmed and tried to release herself from his tight hold.

"Let go of me you giant brute!" She wriggled her fingers beneath his, attempting to force them to open on her arm, but Ron held fast.

"Not until you tell me what in Merlin's sodding name just happened." His warm blue eyes stared fiercely into her hazel ones.

Her fingers unwound themselves from his and her shoulders sagged.

"That was Captain." She looked towards the ground.

"Captain? Oh, Captain." He was shocked. What were the odds that Hermione was now dating his partner's ex? Only three weeks after her husband left her, at that. His stomach churned. He had temporarily forgotten about seeing Hermione kissing that bloke, but the rage of it all came back.

He clenched his fists; Mitzi seemed to notice his sudden anger. She looked back up and smiled weakly.

"It's okay. It's been over between us for a couple of years now; he has every right to move on."

"Not with Hermione he doesn't!" He growled, surprised that he had said that out loud.

"That was Hermione? Wow! She looks so much different in person." It was Mitzi's turn to try and calm down Ron. "It'll be okay you know? We're probably better off anyway, right?" Her smile was wider this time, but no dimple creased her cheek and Ron could tell it was a fake.

"Yeah, right." He nodded in agreement and began walking once more.

****

Ron decided to stop avoiding them. Whatever Harry told him seemed to have worked, because he was there at their house for dinner a week later. Ginny was thrilled. At first she worried when Ron still hadn't come around after his chat with Harry, but when he flooed that morning to say that he would be coming by, Ginny couldn't help but be excited.

She had gone too long without him in her life; she hated not having her brother there, especially at a time when she needed all the support. Being pregnant was not all it was cracked up to be. People who thought it was a gift were obviously crazy.

Her back hurt, her feet were swelling, and to top it all off she had completely gone off of red meat, her favorite. Anything worth eating was made from a cow. Stupid baby! Next time she would make Harry do it, somehow.

"So, how was your day?" She asked both Harry and Ron.

"Nothing special," Harry said through a bite of pork chop. "Got a dud lead on the guy who's been terrorizing the West End, spent all day chasing my tail."

"That sounds, er… nice," Ginny said.

"Yeah, just terrific."

"Well, how about you Ron? How was your day?" She was trying to keep the conversation going smoothly, but at the look on Ron's face she feared she had failed miserably.

"I saw Hermione." His tone was cool, but she could see anger swimming behind his eyes.

Harry's head popped up from shoveling mashed potatoes in his mouth. He thankfully didn't speak, but he raised his eyebrows in question. Ginny chose to remain silent as well, hoping Ron would appreciate her acceptance to not butt in – something that Harry made her swear before even allowing Ron to step foot inside the house.

"She was kissing a bloke named Captain."

"You've got to be joking?" Ginny blurted out, then covered her mouth.

"Maybe it wasn't her," Harry suggested.

"Nope, it was definitely her. Couldn't even wait a month after Malfoy's gone, and she's already off snogging other gits."

"You have to be mistaken!" Ginny insisted more calmly, "Hermione doesn't even know anyone named Captain. Besides, she would never go out and snog some random bloke. Especially not when she still in love with y…" She broke off at the glare from Harry.

"I'm not mistaken. Can we just forget about it? Tell me, what'd you do today Gin?"

**

Ginny couldn't believe that Hermione had already moved on to someone new, especially someone that wasn't her older brother. She went straight to Hermione's parents' home when she woke up the next morning. The soil lining the walkway was freshly turned.

When Hermione answered the door, Ginny didn't waste any time. She pushed past her friend and once she was in the entryway she blurted out, "Who the bloody hell is Captain, and why are you snogging him?"

Hermione looked bewildered. "I'm not snogging any Captain. What are you going on about?" Hermione walked Ginny towards the kitchen, where the smell of eggs permeated the room.

"Ron said that he saw you kissing some bloke named Captain." Ginny eyed the cooking eggs with want.

Hermione paused while she scraped some eggs onto a plate. "It was Linus." She brought the plate over to Ginny. They were a little rubbery, Hermione was no gourmet, but Ginny didn't seem to be bothered by it.

"You kissed the Professor?" She said around a mouthful of eggs.

"No, Linus kissed me. I think he was attempting to make the girl that Ron was snogging jealous." She looked at Ginny sideways, trying to gauge her friend's reaction. She wanted to know more about the girl that Ron had been kissing, but she wouldn't ask.

Ginny choked on her eggs and began to cough roughly. She pounded on her chest and Hermione conjured a cup of water for her. Ginny took a large sip and swallowed hard.

"Ron was kissing someone?"

Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes, a short, cute girl. Looked kind of young though…"

"Pixie!"

"Who?"

"I mean Mitzi. Ron's partner, of sorts. I didn't realize… There has to be a reason, he couldn't like her." Ginny's face, that was red from the coughing fit earlier, became more tomato colored with anger this time.

"He seemed to like her just fine."

"Well, you were kissing the Professor." Ginny shot back accusingly.

"Not by choice. He took me by surprise, but it was only one small kiss; nothing compared to the snog fest that I witnessed." She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice; she had no right to be upset.

"So you don't like the Professor?"

"Will you stop calling him that, he has a name? And, no, I don't like _Linus_, not like that anyway."

"I'll just call him Captain then." Ginny grinned.

It was then Hermione understood the reference; it must have been a nickname. "Captain Wentworth…" Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Huh?"

"It's a name of a character in a book by a muggle author, Jane Austen." Ginny continued to look on in confusion. "Never mind, it hardly matters." Hermione waved the thought away. It did however, give Hermione the information that Mitzi was probably a muggle born, at least partly anyway. It wasn't often that you found purebloods reading the works of great muggle authors.

"So you're not interested in Captain?"

_God she was persistent._

"No, for the last time, I am not interested in Linus. I just got a divorce; I am not interested in anyone." A lie, but admitting the truth was too painful. Ginny might be positive about her brother's feelings, but Hermione was not.

Ginny didn't contradict Hermione, though there was a glint in her eyes that showed that Ginny didn't believe her for one second.

"So, what flowers did you end up planting?" Ginny asked as the girls slipped into a less tumultuous discussion.

****

Ron had come home from an exhausting day at work to find Ginny sitting in front of the fireplace with a scowl on her face.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" He passed a hand through his lengthening hair.

"YOU!" Ginny shot up and poked at his chest.

He rubbed the spot with his hands; she could really bruise when she wanted to.

"What'd I do now?" He asked exasperatedly.

"You snogged Mitzi in front of Hermione?!"

He grimaced, but then got defensive. What did it matter who he snogged? Hermione was nothing to him anymore. "So?"

"So? Merlin, Ron, you are greater prat that I thought."

"Ginny, I thought we talked about you getting the bloody hell out of my business," he admonished.

"I would, if you would stop mucking it all up. What were you doing kissing her anyway?"

He blushed and moved his head to the side to avoid her piercing gaze.

"Nothing, she kissed me all right? It was no big deal."

"Didn't sound like that to me? The way Hermione tells it you were practically naked in the street with that bint."

"She is not a bint, and we weren't practically naked. It was a kiss, that's all." He plopped down on the couch to emphasize his lack of interest in the subject.

"Why, why were you kissing her, and in front of Hermione of all people?"

"What does Hermione have to do with it?"

"She has everything to do with it. You can be so dense." She plopped right next to him. "You didn't answer my question."

"She kissed me, I told you. It was just to make her prat of an ex jealous anyway."

"I knew you didn't fancy her." Ginny looked smugly at him.

"I could."

"But you don't," she said matter of factly.

"No, I don't. But she is fancy-able."

"Not the point."

"What is the point?" He turned to look at her. "Hermione was off snogging some random bloke and you are giving me the third degree. Go pester her about it."

"I already did."

There was silence. She was waiting for him to ask more, but he would not give in.

He crossed his arms behind his head, relaxed back into the couch, tapped his foot against the floor and was tempted to whistle as well, but thought that might be a bit much.

Ginny rested her head against the back of the couch as well, seemingly exhausted. He was expecting her to crack, to be bursting to tell him what she had found out from Hermione, but she wasn't. _What if what she found out was that Hermione was now going to be with Captain? He would be okay! He had to be. Hermione was nothing to him. Nothing._

"So what did she say?" He finally asked, not able to keep his morbid curiosity at bay any longer.

"Pretty much the same thing."

_Vague. Why did Ginny have to be so vague?_ She was just aching to have him beg for information. He loathed giving into her, but he hated not knowing even more.

"Which was?"

"That he had just kissed her to make your Mitzi jealous."

"Stupid prat!"

Ginny just smirked at him, and he blushed remembering the Lavender situation.

"So, she doesn't fancy him then?" He peeked at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Nope, not a whit." Ginny smiled a toothy grin, which ordinarily would have made Ron nervous, but the butterflies that were dancing in his stomach were distraction enough.

****

It had come! Her book, finally, edited and almost ready for printing. Excitement welled within her and she felt she might explode. Her mum and dad were at the office, so she couldn't go to them with this yet. Harry would be at work, along with Ron, not that she would have gone to him. Not after seeing him with that woman, or girl, or whoever she was.

Ginny was with Molly shopping for baby furniture. So Hermione went to the only other person she thought might be interested-- Linus.

Linus answered the door and Hermione couldn't hold back the squeal as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It's done! It's done!" She kept shouting and jumping, pulling him up and down with her.

He gave her a wan smile and removed her hands from around his neck. "What's done?"

Hermione flushed, realizing her reaction might have been a little much, especially for one as stoic as Linus.

"The book. It's done, I just got it today." Hermione held the bound parchment in front of her as an offering.

He replaced his former wan smile with a genuine one. He gave her a weak hug and pulled her into the house.

"That's really great Hermione," he said as he led her back towards the library.

She was glad to note that though he still didn't seem to be his normal self after that incident the other day, he was responsive. That was improvement, right?

They talked for a while about the book. He perused some of the passages, and the more that he read and they talked, the better his mood became.

Hermione felt it was time to broach the subject of the other day. She hadn't felt comfortable discussing it with him at the time due to his shock, but now that he was more responsive, it needed to be addressed.

"So about the other day…" She looked up from under her lashes.

Linus's back stiffened. "I believe I apologized for that earlier."

"Again, I am not talking about the kiss, although perhaps you should not do that again. I mean what happened after. Who was that girl?" Hermione knew who of course, but not who she was to Linus.

"What girl?" His stony voice asked.

She huffed, "Please. The girl that was kissing my… that was kissing Ron."

He shrugged, trying to give it his normal casual air, but it did not fly.

"Don't take me for a fool. You kissed me in front of that girl and Ron, whom I might add now thinks that we are dating. Thank you for that. I deserve an explanation."

His shoulders relaxed, though he kept his normal stiff posture.

"Pi…Mitzi is an old girlfriend."

"An old girlfriend you felt the need to kiss someone in front of?"

"Yes, quite stupid of me really. I was just shocked to see her. Not very good at thinking on my toes, I suppose." His laugh was hollow and Hermione felt a pang of sadness for him.

"So you still care for her then?"

"Very much. I never stopped."

"What happened?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got time, besides you know mine, it's only fair that I know yours." Hermione crossed her arms, not willing to let him get away with not telling her. If he thought he could just go and kiss her like that without giving her a very good reason, he was quite mistaken.

Linus gave a resigned sigh. "We met in the charms section of Flourish and Blotts. She was trying to reach for a book on the top shelf and I helped her to get it down." His eyes glazed over and Hermione could only imagine what was replaying in that head of his.

"She scowled at me…" he chuckled, "…I didn't see her again for another week, when once again she was trying to reach something too high for herself. This time I did not come to her rescue, and she flicked her wand to get the book down from the shelf. The smile of triumph that was on her face bewitched me.

"I went to that damned bookstore every day for the next two weeks hoping to see her there. I finally gave up and went to that little shop I took you to. There she was, sitting on a small pile of books and reading. I made my move, and for two years everything was wonderful…"

His eyebrows furrowed and a frown creased his lips.

"She was a muggle born. I am a pureblood."

"So?" Hermione asked indignantly.

"So, my grandfather would have disowned me if I had married her."

"So you were a coward then?" Hermione asked, all sympathy for his plight gone.

"NO!" He shot up and shouted, louder than necessary.

Hermione flinched and Linus slumped back into the couch.

More quietly he said, "No. I stood up for us, but we would have had nothing. I had nothing to offer. I couldn't offer her marriage without something to support us. So I asked for time. Time to make something of myself, enough to get me away from under his roof." Linus scowled at the thought of his grandfather.

"She didn't want to wait. Said she wouldn't wait for me to 'grow a pair', and left. We haven't spoken since."

"When was this?"

"Over two years ago. I've been working hard ever since. Hoping that one day I would be able to go back."

"After two years?"

"I don't care if it's been ten years," Linus stated firmly.

"Well, you have money now. I just paid you quite a sum, enough to get a good start, not to mention what I am sure others have paid for your services."

"I was hoping that after this it would be enough." He sighed. "She's moved on though." His face hardened and Hermione could tell that story time had ended.

"It's getting late." He rose from the couch. "Thank you for listening. Congratulations on your book."

Hermione rose and followed Linus's lead out of the room, but she couldn't leave before pointing out, "Linus? You told me that Ron and I were…" she couldn't finish the sentence, but her meaning was clear.

"You are."

"So, if that's… if that's true, then you should have nothing to worry about."

There was a flicker of regret in his eyes, but then the cool exterior was back in place.

"She moved on, no matter if it works out with him or not. She didn't wait."

"And you did?"

"Of course I did."

Hermione arched her brow at him, noticing that his little quirk seemed to be wearing off on her. "If that's so, then why in Merlin's name did you go and kiss me?"

"Like I said, wasn't thinking clearly."

"So couldn't it be possible that she was doing the same thing?"

"Doesn't matter." He shrugged.

"Oh, to hell with that." Hermione stomped her foot. "You men and your stubborn attitudes. She was right, you really do need to grow a pair." She whirled around and stormed down the front steps. She didn't look behind to see the shocked expression on Linus's face. Hermione was so fed up with all these stupid men in her life. Why was it always up to the woman to get anything done?

**A/N: I know it is not an exciting chapter, but it is an important one. I hope you enjoyed it. Next one, I promise, will be full of excitement.****  
****Thanks so much to all of you for reading and especially those who have reviewed. It means a lot to a girl.****  
****Georgia Weasley, you know you are the awesomest beta. Thanks as always.**


	37. Finally

He was exhausted. He had finally been put on his first real case, sort of. Ron had been asked to watch the goings on of someone suspected to have contact with one of the more despicable wizards on the loose. Mostly it had been boring, but the mole-like man that Ron had been following was an energetic little bugger. He had led Ron through all of the streets of Diagon Alley, as well as those of Knockturn.

His feet were tired, his mind was numb from lack of any mental stimulation, and his stomach was grumbling louder than Fluffy, Hagrid's three headed dog.

"What's for dinner?" Ron yelled out as he hung his cloak in the hall. "I'm star-" his breath caught in his throat.

Hermione?" Ron's voice rose slightly at the end and he coughed and spoke again in a lower tone. "Hermione? What are you doing here?" His heart was racing and he was torn between feelings of desire and disgust. She was sitting at the kitchen table, Victoire playing idly by her feet.

"I came to visit your mum, and I think we probably need to talk." She set down the cup of steaming tea, her lips plump and red from the heat of the liquid. Ron turned his head away and looked towards his mother, needing to focus on something other than Hermione.

"We're having pot roast. Why don't you clean up a bit before dinner, dear?" His mum broke through the awkward tension.

"Yeah," Ron choked out and rushed towards the upstairs bathroom.

He washed his hands more thoroughly than he would have had he not been avoiding going back downstairs. His face was a bit grimy from the dust of the street, so he decided to wash it, too. Then he noticed his stubble was peeking through, and figured that he might as well shave. Ron rubbed a hand across his clean shaven face, and smelled a whiff of something foul.  
_  
__Well, if he was going to shave, he should probably shower…_

Forty-five minutes later, Ron was shaved, showered, and had even gone as far as brushing his teeth; the minty taste of the toothpaste overpowering the garlic from his lunch. He dressed himself in a clean set of robes and went to the kitchen to enjoy the delicious smelling pot roast.

"Going somewhere dear?" His mum asked when Ron appeared in the kitchen.

"Yeah, got a hot date tonight, little brother?" Ron groaned; George had come for dinner.

"Nah, who'd date him?" Bill's voice echoed. Ron blushed and out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione grow a varying shade of pink.

"Sorry Hermione." Bill said contritely, only causing the two of them to blush more furiously.

"Yes, well…" Hermione said as she turned to say something to Angelina, cutting her face from Ron's line of vision.

"What's everyone doing here?" Ron asked.

"We heard there was pot roast." Angelina answered.

"I just came to get the little one," Bill replied as he grabbed Victoire by the waist and hauled her up off the floor.

"See you tomorrow, mum." He nodded to everyone else in turn and then headed out the door, his daughter bouncing on his hip.

"So who's the bird you got all dolled up for?" George pushed forward upon Bill's leaving.

"Oh, leave your brother alone." His mum admonished as she set a place in front of Angelina.

Ron hoped that George would let the matter drop, but knew that he probably wouldn't.

Dinner was awkward. His father made attempts at conversation about some muggle thing called a blender, his mum tried to get Angelina to eat more, and George worked in the odd comment about Ron and his mystery date. All the while Ron and Hermione made not so covert glances at one another, neither one brave enough to speak outright in front of all these witnesses.

When the pudding was being taken away and Angelina was dragging George out of the door, something which Ron would be forever grateful for, Hermione finally spoke to him.

"Do you want to take a walk?"

Ron groaned, mostly because the idea of a walk sounded horrible after the day he'd had. Realizing that wasn't the best response, he amended, "Yeah, sounds good."

She gave him a hesitant smile and rose quietly from the table as his dad and mum cleaned up the kitchen together.

The silence fell around them as they entered the garden. The night sky hung darkly above, clouds covering any star or moonlight.

"So…" Ron began.

"So…" Hermione repeated back.

Their words died in the air as they continued along into the yard, following a familiar path.

Hermione took a deep breath in. "I love the smell of bluebells," she said in a dreamy voice.

"Yeah," Ron agreed.

They were in the middle of the bluebell field, Hermione stopped and picked up a flower, placing it to her nose and inhaled more deeply.

"Are you seeing that Captain bloke?" Ron burst out, interrupting her tranquil reverie.

She blushed and tried to hide a smile. "No," she said softly. "Are you dating that girl I saw you with?"

Ron paused, not because he didn't know the answer, but because he wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her. He didn't know if he was ready for what he felt would certainly happen if he told her the truth.

Her face fell as his silence wore on.

"Why do you care?" He hadn't been truly angry at Hermione since his talk with Harry, but the sadness in her face enraged him. How dare she look so sad when only two months ago she was married to someone else?

"I don't," she snapped. "I just wondered because I thought maybe she would give Linus another chance."

"Linus?" Ron snorted.

"Yes, Linus, or Captain as you like to call him."

"Fat chance," Ron huffed out.

"Well, I see I made a mistake in coming here. I'm sorry to have troubled you." Hermione clutched at the bluebell in her hand, Ron watched the flower crumple in her grip.

"Obviously."

She turned around and her hair swung behind her in a snap.

"Where are you going?" He shouted after her. His anger suddenly abated, leaving him unsure where it had even come from.

"Home. I don't know what I was thinking. You're just as stubborn and pigheaded as ever."

His anger came back.

"Like I don't have a reason to be?!" Ron said incredulously. "I'm not the one who whored myself off to the highest bidder."

Fire danced in her eyes as she stormed back in his direction. _Perhaps that was a bit too far._

SMACK!

His face felt red hot where she had hit him. He held his hand to the developing bruise, shock written all over his features. Not shock for her actions, but his own. He couldn't believe he had said something so cruel. It wasn't even how he really felt. Sure, he hated the idea of Hermione being with Malfoy, it made his blood boil and his skin crawl, but he didn't really blame her, at least not anymore, and he knew that she wasn't like that.

They stared at one another, her fierce gaze piercing into that of his own sorrowful one.

She broke the trance and turned back around, this time with even more determination than before.

"Wait, Hermione. I'm sorry," Ron called out, chasing after her.

He caught up to her in four easy strides.

She continued walking. He grabbed at her arm, only wanting to turn her to face him. She yanked at his grip, pulling her arm free.

"Please, Hermione. I'm sorry. I'm a pigheaded idiot," he pleaded.

She continued stomping towards the house.

"I lo-"

She turned around and shouted, "No! Don't you dare say that to me! What you just said is not love. Calling the woman that you 'love' a whore is not love!" Tears pooled in her eyes.

"And calling me pigheaded is?" One hard stare from her and he backtracked, "Okay, not the same thing. Sorry, again. I didn't mean it Hermione." Tears started to pool in his eyes as well, and he had to blink several times to keep them in check.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know why I'm so angry with you. I know that you had to move on, it's only natural." Her gaze remained hard, but she stayed, listening to him.

"It's just… you moved on with Malfoy." His voice took on an unintentional whiney tone. Her glare became more menacing. "I get it, or I'm trying to get it. He was there for you, but it's hard. He's Malfoy; he's always been such a git."

"You didn't seem to care much when we were in Japan, or that night I saw you in the alley."

"That's because I didn't know what it was to love you then. I didn't remember. Remembering hurt a lot more."

Her eyes softened.

"Being told that we were together and remembering being together are very different. Seeing you choose to be with him after knowing what we had… After knowing I had really loved you…" his voice caught in his throat.

Hermione brushed the back of her hand across his now bruising cheek.

For what felt like the hundredth time that night they stood facing one another in silence.

"Loved?" Hermione's weak voice asked.

"Love." Ron corrected.

"Me too," she stepped closer to him.

He could see his breath tickling the hairs on the top of her head. His arms ached to wrap themselves around her but neither one of them moved.

CRASH

They both jumped and looked towards the light of The Burrow. Ron turned back to see Hermione staring longingly at him, he returned her glance before running in the direction of his home, scared of what he might find.

****

To say that she was disturbed would be an understatement. Their moment had been interrupted by something that Hermione was sure to remember for the rest of her life.

When they entered The Burrow, Hermione had expected to see some calamity, or possibly worse. What they found however, was nothing short of traumatizing.

Molly Weasley was flushed, her hair wild and the front of her robes askew. Arthur was lying on the floor, his undergarments wrapped around his ankles, and his face a glaring shade of tomato red.

"Just fell, nothing to see," Arthur said as he tried to wriggle himself up from his awkward position. It was proving more difficult than it should have been, given that he was unable to move his legs properly.

There were broken dishes and a couple of pots strewn about the floor, Hermione didn't even want to know how they managed to get there.

Molly gathered her wits about her much sooner than either Ron or Hermione had been able to.

"Sorry to have disturbed you. We thought you had left." She held out a hand to help her husband from the floor and quickly flicked her wand to right the shattered dishes and cooking pans.

"Er…" was all that Ron was able to get out before leaving the kitchen completely and rushing back into the yard.

Hermione followed closely at his heels.

When they had got far enough into the yard, Hermione could no longer stifle the laughter that was bursting to come out. She had been embarrassed for them, and herself, but mostly she had wanted to let the bubbling feeling of mirth come to the forefront.

"It's not funny." Ron admonished.

"It – is – too," Hermione said through gasping breaths of laughter. She turned to look at him and his face was almost as red as his father's had been. At the thought of Arthur a fresh wave of glee washed over her and she was almost unable to catch her breath.

"No, it isn't. It's disgusting."

She breathed in deeply, trying to calm the fits of giggles that continued to burst forth.

"I think it's kind of sweet."

Ron grimaced.

"It is," Hermione insisted. "After all this time and they are still, well you know."

"Unfortunately I do." He ran a hand through his hair.

Hermione noticed how long it had gotten lately, the edges curled slightly around his ears and at the nape of his neck. The front hung limply in his eyes. She followed her urge to brush the hair away from his face and found it to be as soft and thick as she remembered.

Ron tensed, and then lowered his gaze as bright blue met deep brown.

Hermione's giggles vanished.

She ached for him to reach for her, but he stayed still, just staring into her, through her.

"Well, it's late. I should probably get going…" Hermione took in a scuff on her shoe, not able to hold his gaze any longer.

"Yeah." She looked up to see him run his hands through his hair once more.

"So, good-bye then." Her feet wouldn't move.

"Good-bye," he responded lamely.

"Night." Hermione continued, this time able to get her body to do as it was told and taking a step back. She took another and then turned away from him.

"Wait." He called out, and Hermione released a long breath as she stood rooted to the spot, but not able to face him.

"Yes?" She asked, still turned towards the house and away from Ron.

"Can I… Can I see you sometime?" His insecure tone reminded her so much of how it had been when they had first started dating, all those years ago.

Hermione nodded her head.

"I can't promise anything," he continued, "I just, I want to try."

She turned then. "I can't promise anything either, but I'm all for trying."

A small smile broke out on his face and he pulled lightly at her fingers with his own. His touch sent a new wave of shivers down her spine, and though they were barely touching, just grazing really, it felt more intense than any contact she ever shared with Draco.

"So, I'll see you then?" She asked.

"Yeah, you'll see me." He removed his hand from hers and she started to walk away once more.

She had just reached the front gate, only a few steps from the apparition point that was set up, when she heard light breathing and quick easy footsteps at her back.

She pivoted and saw Ron jogging towards her.

"Was there something el-" With more grace than she ever thought possible, Ron's long arm reached out for her and pulled Hermione to him, catching her mouth with his own.

His kiss burned, it melted, it blazed and stoked. It froze and nipped and chilled everything in her body. Her mind rushed to catch up to her body, which instinctively knew what to do. She found that her fingers were already tickling the hairs at his neck and her other hand pulled at his robes to bring him yet closer. In the dark of night, their bodies molded into one shadowy image.

He pulled away, breathless and panting, his eyes smoldering with lust.

"One step at a time," he said as his chest continued to heave.

It took another moment for Hermione to get her bearings, and when she did, all she was able to do was nod.

"Night."

She nodded again and watched as he loped away from her and towards the house. Her fingers brushed against her lips, as if they were able to savor the kiss as well.

"Night," she finally managed to choke out once the door to The Burrow had closed.

**A/N: Okay so that was pretty big chapter. Hope you all had a happy holiday weekend. Let me hear what you think about it all, from the slap (dedicated to AriesGirl40 for her inspiration) to the kiss, to the Arthur and Molly bits...******

**Also thanks to Georgia Weasley for being my beta... she is tops.******


	38. Afterglow

Her mind raced and sleep eluded Hermione. There was a slight tugging of guilt in the back of her mind, but the most prevalent thoughts were of Ron. She subconsciously ran her fingers over her lips as she lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She should still be furious about what he had said to her, but for some reason all of those nasty words seemed to float into the background, not being able to force themselves through the memory of their shared kiss.

_Gods!_ She hadn't been kissed like that in years. Even the kiss that they had shared in Japan paled in comparison to the one of just a few hours before. Butterflies danced in her stomach and adrenaline coursed through her veins as the excitement and giddiness of the evening's events replayed in her mind.

Eventually, she was able to drift into slumber where images of Ron and sometimes Draco flittered through her mind. There was even a moment where Molly appeared with a pair of men's underpants on.

She awoke to find the joy from the evening before had not left her. She whistled as she made her bed and prepared for the day. The anticipation of seeing Ron filled her thoughts and she found herself looking out the window constantly hoping to see an owl coming her way.

The clock seemed to move slowly as 10 o'clock turned into 10:01, then 10:03. Every couple of minutes she found herself glancing at the face of her watch. By one, the anticipation turned into doubt as she wondered if he had begun regretting their kiss from the night before.

By three thirty she was sure of it. So what if he hadn't said when he would get in touch with her again? After last night's kiss she couldn't understand him waiting this long, not if he had felt even one tenth what she had.

She found herself fidgeting with everything, first straightening the table cloth in the dining room, and then rearranging the pantry in the kitchen. When she had reduced herself to alphabetizing the soup cans Hermione knew she needed to take action.

She was not a desperate wallflower that waited all day for a man. She was a strong independent female who had made it just fine on her own before Ron had come into her life. Okay, she was eleven, and following that she had Draco. But still, she could make it on her own.

She would just go about her day as if last night hadn't occurred. It would be no problem.

After two days of it being 'no problem', Hermione's determination turned into irritation. Then, it evolved from irritation to indignation. By the time the fourth day after their kiss came, she was completely angry.

How could he not get in touch?

Not being able to control herself any longer Hermione went over to vent her frustrations to the one person that she knew would be on her side.

****

She was trying to poke her belly button back in, but found that it wouldn't go. A knock on the door shattered her concentration. Frowning at her protruding stomach, Ginny rose from her comfortable spot on the couch to tell off whoever was interrupting her special 'me' time.

"What do you – Oh, Hermione. C'mon in." Ginny pulled the door open wide and waddled back to her cozy spot on the couch.

Hermione settled herself on one of the chairs. Ginny noted that she had bags under her eyes and she was wringing her fingers together in an antsy way.

"Spill," Ginny finally said, not able to wait any longer for Hermione to confess to whatever it was she was holding in.

Hermione jerked slightly but composed herself quickly.

"I saw Ron the other night."

"And…"

Hermione hesitated. "…And we kissed."

"Really?" Ginny squealed.

Hermione nodded.

"So…"

"So, nothing. I haven't heard from him." Hermione shrugged, trying and failing to make it appear nonchalant.

"Stupid prat! I'm going to give that coward a piece of my mind."

"No, don't. I don't want him to know that I… that he has upset me."

"Hermione…" Ginny rolled her eyes. "Ron has a tendency to be a little thick. Sometimes he needs a good smack in the head."

Hermione chuckled half-heartedly.

"Oh, Ginny. I don't know what I am doing. I just got divorced. I shouldn't even be thinking about someone else."

"But he's not just someone else, he's Ron."

"I know, and that's the problem. When he's around I can't think clearly. It's driving me crazy!" Hermione stood and began pacing the room. "He's just so… Urg!" She clenched her fists and pounded them fiercely against the back of the chair.

"How can he kiss me and then leave me hanging for four days?"

"He's probably waiting for you to get in touch with him. Like I said, the boy is thick."

Hermione cocked her head to the side in contemplation. "You think?"

"I do."

Her face became blank and Hermione lifted her eyes to the ceiling, as if looking for answers there. "Maybe you're right."

"There are no maybes about it. Of course I'm right."

They both laughed lightly. Ginny's belly bounced up and down. She laid her hands across her stomach, enjoying the feel of her little squirmy worm moving around inside. She smiled inwardly; _she was going to be a mum._

Before that though, she wanted to make sure that her brother didn't totally muck things up with Hermione. Her promise to Harry to no longer meddle be damned. This was her best friend and her brother for Merlin's sake; she wanted her baby to be born in a world of happiness.

****

Though his mind and body ached to be near Hermione, Ron found himself unfortunately holed up in a small flat just inside of Knockturn Alley.

"Pass the peanut butter, will ya?" Mitzi's voice grated in on his thoughts.

Ron shook his head and tossed the half eaten jar of peanut butter towards the bed Mitzi was laying across. Files were strewn all around her, and she was flipping through the same one they had both gone over countless times.

Ron looked out of the window, watching the store front across the street. There was supposed to be some sort of 'bad guy' meeting today in the little shop, but so far there hadn't seemed to be any unusual activity.

Ron had gone into the office the morning after his encounter with Hermione, his mind full of her, and found complete chaos. Apparently, the man Ron had been set to follow the day before had led the Auror that had relieved him to the hub of the organization the Aurors had been tracking for months.

Ron and Mitzi were then assigned to a twenty four hour surveillance of the store along with six other pairs of Aurors. Each one set to overlook a different perspective. Ron and Mitzi had a beautiful view of the front of "Clawshaft's Knick-Knacks". It was considered a give-away position, since it was more than likely that the offenders would keep their dubious interactions out of view of any passersby.

"Anything yet?" Mitzi asked around a mouth full of peanut butter.

"No," Ron said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Being stuck in a tiny room with only Mitzi as a companion for almost four days was beginning to grate on his nerves. Especially when he would much rather be with a certain brown-eyed witch.

He was sure his non-communication with her would be a problem. She was probably fuming as he stood there, eyes glazing over, watching a stout man look into the knick-knack shop. If he knew Hermione, she had spent the last couple of days analyzing his silence, until she broke and went to vent to Ginny.

Unfortunately, Ginny would be unable to tell Hermione anything, since Ron wasn't able to tell anyone where he was going. Harry, the only person who would have been able to enlighten both Ginny and Hermione, had gone to visit Teddy at Andromeda's place for the week and wouldn't know until he got back. His dad, who probably had an idea, would not have felt the need to make Ginny aware of his whereabouts unless she stopped by, which was unlikely given her new propensity for staying at home.

He wanted to send her an owl but any communication was strictly forbidden, and though he might have gotten away with it if Harry was his partner, he definitely would not with Mitzi. The woman followed rules to the letter, something that began to irritate him more and more. He thought of Hermione and her rule bending ways. She was always looking for a way to go around the rule instead of breaking it, but not Mitzi. Oh no, she had to do everything by the bloody book.

_Sodding book!_

The stout man scraped his finger against the glass display window, as if collecting a piece of dirt. Ron noticed that the window seemed to shimmer slightly at the man's touch. Ron straightened his back and watched as the man began to speak into the window.

"Hey Mitz, c'mere." He gestured with one hand as he continued to stare at the interaction in front of him.

"What?"

Ron heard a rustling of papers and the squeak of the bed before Mitzi was able to reach him.

"See that bloke?" He asked as he pointed towards the man.

She nodded, "Yeah, so?"

"So, I think the meeting is taking place right now. See how he is talking to himself?" Mitzi leaned closer to the window to get a better look. "Well I just saw that window shimmer, or flicker, or something. It's just a bit odd, yeah?"

"Okay…" she said slowly, as her face scrunched up in thought. "So we talk to one of the other patrol groups. See if anything funny is going on their way."

As she said it, she conjured up a silver wisp of a patronus. Mitzi turned around so that she was hiding the mercurial form from view. Then she whispered, "There's a man in the front window. We think he is communicating with someone inside the shop." Mitzi flicked her wand and the small image flitted into thin air. Ron thought he caught a glimpse of a small rat-like dog, but he couldn't be sure.

They waited impatiently for one of the other teams to respond. Ron continued to stare out at the man as Mitzi paced furiously in tiny circles.

There was still no response when Ron noticed that the man began to shuffle his feet. He looked to be closing the conversation as he nodded twice and then brushed his palm once over the glass. It flickered again as the man began to waddle away.

"NO! He's leaving!" Ron shouted. Mitzi jumped quickly towards the window. "We can't let him leave!"

He rushed towards the door, but before he pulled it Mitzi grabbed his hand.

"You can't, it's against protocol."

"Fuck protocol! That guy is going to get away." He grabbed for the door once more.

"Ron!" Mitzi called as she tried to pull at his arm, only clawing onto his robes. Ron pulled past her, a ripping noise breaking through the air.

He felt a cool draft on his arm as he plowed through the hallway and down the stairs. Two hags were arguing in front of the door, but beyond them Ron could see his prey, whistling as he walked down the street.

He pushed one of the hags aside and burst through the front door, charging recklessly down the street after the man.

"Hey, Mister!" Ron called out, unaware of all of the people giving him odd glances.

The man continued ambling on his way.

"Hey!" Ron called even louder.

This time the man turned and gave Ron a jovial smile.

"What seems to be the problem?" The man asked. His eyes darted around the street, but his smile stayed in place.

"I think you dropped this…" Ron reached into the pocket of his robes; the man followed Ron's hand with his eyes.

Ron pulled out his wand and shouted a quick 'Stupify' before the man even had time to register something was truly amiss. His body fell heavily onto the dirty paving stones. People scattered off, avoiding the scene in front of them.

Ron had just begun to bind the man's arms when he heard light footsteps rushing his way. He turned, his wand held aloft, but seeing it was only Mitzi he dropped his arm.

"You idiot!" She cried. "What have you done?"

"I got the bad guy." Ron shrugged.

"How do you know that he's a bad guy, Ron? We have no proof."

"I just know. Now help me levitate him. We need to take him back to the room for questioning."

"No, I want no party to this. You have just broken about 12 different codes." She stomped her foot.

"Fine, I'll do it myself." Ron raised his wand and pointed it towards the inert figure lying on the street. The man rose from the ground and jostled through the air before him. At one point the man's head collided with the corner of a building, but after inspection Ron noted no serious damage.

Ron brought him up to the room, Mitzi huffing behind him, while patrons of Knockturn Alley avoided looking in Ron's direction.

Ron fastened the man to a chair before 'enervating' him again.

"Who are you?" Ron questioned as soon as his eyes fluttered open.

"Wha-Who? Where am I?" The man responded in a dazed way.

"Just answer the question."

"I'm Pete."

"Pete who?" Ron asked, poking a finger into the man's chest.

"Pete Sanford." He answered automatically.

"Ron? What are you doing?" Mitzi asked as she crossed her arms.

"Shh… So Pete? What were you doing in front of _Clawshaft's_?"

"I was just browsing." The man glanced over to the window, and then fixed his gaze back on Ron.

"Yeah, and I am a bag of Dragon Dung."

Before the man could respond, a large silver tiger popped into the room. Its vapor mouth opened and said, "Keep an eye on the shop, and don't go anywhere. Someone will be there soon."

In the split second that it took for the tiger to speak the man lurched forward in the chair, effectively knocking Ron off his guard. The chair fell, but unfortunately it fell on top of Ron, pinning him to the ground. Mitzi, who had been perched against the door jamb, moved nimbly towards the collision. She brandished her wand and spelled 'Pete' immobile.

"Thanks," Ron breathed out.

"I didn't do it for you, you wanker. I did it because we can't go having this brute escape now." She pushed the chair with the stunned man in it over so Ron could effectively get out from under him.

He crawled a little bit before rising in front of the stunned man. "So, what now?" Ron asked.

Mitzi let out a derisive laugh, "Why don't you tell me. You're the genius that got us into this mess." She crossed her arms and looked expectantly at him.

Ron took a couple of steps around the man on the floor, scratching at his head in contemplation.

"I don't know," he said as he pulled rather tightly on his scalp. "I just know that there is something off about this bloke."

"Yeah, well you better hope so, because if we just captured some innocent bystander then we can kiss this job good-bye."

Just then they heard some muffled footsteps coming up the stairs. Three light taps and then one hard bang in succession on the door notified them that backup had arrived.

They opened the door to see a barrel-chested man that Ron had yet to interact with. Behind him was a thinner man with gaunt features and a dark, thick uni-brow marring the top of his face.

"This is Whistler and you can call me Masters." The barrel-chested man said. "Now let's see what you… What in the…" He cut himself off and just glared at both Ron and Mitzi. "I thought you were told not to move. Who is that? And what he is doing here?"

Whistler just stood back, a look of serene pleasure on his face. Ron wanted to punch him, but instead he decided to respond to the question at hand. "Well you see, sir…"

"Holy Harpies!" Mitzi shouted, and all the men in the room turned to stare at her in bewilderment. Ron noticed that she was not paying any attention to them, but her eyes were fixed on the man on the floor, tied to the chair.

He looked to see what was so interesting and noticed that hair was growing rapidly on top of the man's bald pate. His clothes seemed to loosen up as his frame shrunk. The attentions of the two other Aurors also were captivated by the scene unfolding before their eyes.

When the transformation was complete, all anyone in the room could do was gape. They each stared on as the un-polyjuiced form of the stout man now lay in front of them. Ron rubbed at his eyes in disbelief, Mitzi stood there with her jaw hanging low. Masters, who was standing behind Ron, was making a rapid head shaking movement, while Whistler made a low whistling sound through the gap in his two front teeth.

The man on the floor jerked slightly, and four wands burst forth within seconds of one another.

"Stupify" echoed in the small room as the man on the floor went completely limp once more. They needed to call for reinforcements.

**A/N: Happy New Years! So… how did you like it? Any ideas on who the bad guy might be? ****  
****I would like to thank those who have reviewed and those who are reading silently. ****  
****As always thanks to my wonderific Beta Georgia Weasley, you are the best.**


	39. Second, First Date

His face was splashed all over the newspapers. _Young Aurors Capture Boss on Routine Steak-Out_

Hermione gasped when she saw Ron's moving form grimacing out at her in that morning's _Prophet._ Next to him was Mitzi, though half of her head was cut off and she kept jumping up and down to get into the frame.

The picture adjacent to Ron was one of a disheveled looking Reynolds. His clothes looked to be at the same time too short and too large. He scowled and hid his face behind splayed fingers.

Hermione stared at the photos a little longer before delving into the story, anxious to know exactly what was going on.

_Young Aurors, Ronald Bilius Weasley and Mitzi Ellen Parker, thought that they were performing a routine steak-out. Set overlooking the small shop in Knockturn Alley, '_Clawshaft's Knick-Knacks'_, where a meeting of unknown dark activity was to be taking place, Aurors Weasley and Parker sat watching for anything suspicious._

_They found it. Over half way into their fourth day of watching said storefront, Auror Weasley noticed odd behavior from a gentleman walking casually down the street. Watching more closely Mr. Weasley's suspicions seemed to be confirmed, for he rushed onto the street and took down the suspicious looking man._

"There was just something off about him."_ Auror Weasley said when asked why he went after what appeared to be an innocent shopper._

_The details of what happened once captured are unknown, but we do know that once the man was in custody he had transformed into none other than the head of the Auror Department, Jedediah Reynolds. It is not yet known what Reynolds is being charged with, but by look of it, we should all be very grateful that Auror Weasley was on the case._

Hermione couldn't believe it. Reynolds? Sure he was a little rough around the edges, but weren't most Aurors? Hermione was shocked. More than anything, though, she was relieved. Relief filled her now that she knew Ron hadn't forgotten about her, and hadn't changed his mind. He had been working. All her anxious worry from the past few days evaporated and left her only with concern and curiosity.

All she wanted to do was head down to the Auror department and find out what she could, but she would have to wait. So she finished her breakfast, slowly chewing every bite forty times like her parents had always told her to, but she had never been bothered to count before.

Then she picked out one of her favorite books, something to occupy her thoughts as she waited for word from someone. At first, the words all seemed to blend together and she found that she had read over three pages without retaining anything. Of course she had read the book before, but not being able to envision exactly how Edmund Dantes came to port made Hermione want to start over.

This time she put more energy into comprehension, and if she caught her mind drifting away she scolded herself and focused back on the task at hand. Eventually the story began to progress enough that she hardly had to think about paying attention anymore. She became lost in the plight of the poor sailor from Marseilles.

A tap on her parents' sitting room window jolted Hermione from her reading. She dropped the book and immediately rushed forward before the pages closed and she had to search for her place. Once she found it, Hermione marked it with the same index card she had found in the book when she bought it from the used bookshop.

Pig was shuffling noisily outside the window, and Hermione's heart beat quickened. She fisted her hands and stood erect, not letting herself rush to the window. With measured steps, she neared the fluttering bird.

Once the window was opened, Pig rushed into the room, swirling madly around Hermione's head. She had to try and soothe the bird before being able to get at the letter that was tied to its leg.

The scroll unfurled easily and Hermione read the familiar scrawl of Ron. She had looked upon his writing countless times in the past years, but this was the first time she had received anything new. She held letter to her chest for a moment, just savoring the idea of him being able to write to her once more.

After a moment she realized how ridiculous she was being and thought it was probably time for her to actually read the note.

_Hermione, _

_It's been a busy week. Wanted to know if you wanted to grab a bite tonight for dinner? Around seven? Send a reply back with Pig. _

_Ron_

Same Ron as always, straight and to the point. The familiarity of it all sent a wave of warmth through her. She truly did love this man. He was her best friend, if nothing else. Though she knew down to the tips of her toes that there was much more than friendship in their future.

She quickly dispatched her response – well, as quickly as Pig would let her. Becoming so excited by her quick response, the owl bounced and flitted, making it difficult for Hermione to get the scroll attached to its leg.

Once Pig was just a speck in the sky – which didn't take long considering his size – Hermione rushed to her room and looked through all of the clothes she had brought with her from the Manor. All of her nicer robes had been left behind, as she had thought it better to only take those clothes that were of a more practical nature.

It would be her first date with Ron in almost five years and she couldn't go to him in muggle denims or her plain everyday robes! She needed to go shopping, and fast. Normally, Hermione was not one to bother much with what she was wearing. Draco had liked her in more formal attire, so that is what she wore, not caring either way.

Ron, though, was a different matter. She wanted to look nice, better than nice, but she also didn't want to be overly dressed either. Deciding that _Madam Malkin's_ was her best bet, Hermione headed out to Diagon Alley in search of something that would make her feel beautiful and comfortable.

****

He stood outside of Hermione's parent's house. There was a light dusting of snow covering the ground as flurries of little white snowflakes flittered down atop his head. He had been standing on the front step for nearly five minutes now. He fisted his hand to knock and then dropped it back to his side countless times.

It was silly to be so nervous. He knew that she still cared for him, and there was no question that he loved her, yet he couldn't seem to make that first step to knocking on the door. Earlier that day, still high on his triumph of catching Reynolds, Ron had no doubts about asking Hermione to dinner.

Now, however, he felt that this night would be the deciding factor in their relationship. If all went well Ron could see a future for them to last through their lifetime, but if he screwed it up, like he almost certainly would, well, he didn't know what he would do.

He shivered slightly beneath his cloak; the wind had kicked up and sent a cold chill down his spine. He heard muffled talking behind the door, unable to make out the words. He stepped from the stoop and into the bushes that lined the house. Peeking into the window nearest to him he could see Mr. Granger sitting on a chair, watching a bright screen flashing various colors.

Mr. Granger burst into loud laughter and Ron couldn't help but chuckle to himself, remembering a time when he had sat in that very room watching the telly with Hermione and her father. Ron shook his fears aside. He was being a daft prick, and knew what he had to do. Just before he stepped away from the window, he caught a glimpse of Hermione, her hair wild around her face. She was dressed in a simple pale peach dress, but he couldn't take his eyes away.

_God, she was beautiful_

His determination, now that he needed to be near her, filled him and he moved to step once more away from the window, but again was arrested, this time by the site of her warm brown eyes meeting his. _Shite!_ He had been caught, like a peeping tom.

He rushed now to the front door, and just as he stepped onto the stoop the door swung open. Hermione stood there, eyes dancing with wonder.

"Er…" Ron began, but couldn't think of anything to follow it up. Merlin, the night hadn't even started and he was already screwing it up.

"Hi," she said sheepishly, "care to come in?" She opened the door wider and allowed space for Ron to enter.

Hesitantly he entered the front hallway, letting Hermione lead him towards the room where her dad sat. Mr. Granger rose from his chair, a broad grin on his face and hand outstretched.

"Ron! It's great to see you again."

Ron shook his hand, "You too, sir."

An awkward silence invaded the room, and Ron could tell that Mr. Granger was trying to avoid saying anything about the past, or possibly how long it had been since they last saw one another. Or even more likely, he was avoiding their last conversation in which Ron had asked his permission to marry Hermione.

Ron averted his eyes and took in the sight of Hermione as she watched their interaction.

"So, where is Mrs. Granger?"

"Mum's gone out for bridge night."

"Bridge?" Ron asked.

"A muggle card game."

Ron put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "So…"

"We should probably get going, dad."

Hermione had always been good about taking the lead. It was one of the things that had annoyed Ron more than once, but right now he was grateful for her need to be in charge.

"Well, it was great to see you, Ron." Then Mr. Granger turned and asked, "What time do you think you'll be home tonight?"

Ron's ears began to heat up and he couldn't help but notice the flush that crept into Hermione's cheeks. Her eyes were gazing towards the floor when her dad seemed to notice both of their uneasiness.

"Yes, well, have a nice time." Mr. Granger covered for them and sat back down on his chair, fixing his eyes determinedly towards the screen.

Hermione rushed out with Ron following closely behind.

"Where to?" Hermione asked once they set foot into the cold night air.

Ron shrugged, "Just this place I know." Hermione huffed and Ron smirked inwardly at her frustration. She hated surprises.

He grabbed her by the arm and looked down, "Do you mind riding side-along?" He didn't wait for her answer and quickly apparated them to the small bistro where they had had their first official date.

He heard Hermione gasp upon the sight of their destination.

"You remembered?" She looked up into his eyes, her own dancing with joy.

"Only recently."

Her eyes dropped and Ron realized that perhaps it hadn't been long enough to joke about his memory loss yet. _Stupid mouth! _

"C'mon." He gestured her forward and held the door open for her.

It was warm and cozy in the small restaurant and the hostess brought them directly to the table that Ron had reserved. The same one where they sat all those years ago.

They sat down and an awkward silence engulfed the table. Ron fidgeted with his napkin and he watched out of the corner of his eye as Hermione took a sip from her glass of water, her eyes darting about the place.

"So… How's the book coming?" Ron asked, relieved that he was able to think of something that would get things started.

"Great actually. It is going to come out in a week, just before Christmas."

"That's nice." Now it was Ron's turn to sip from his water as Hermione fussed with the silverware.

"Our Specials today are stuffed Crab with lobster sauce and rice pilaf, duck a l'orange, or creamy tomato bisque. Can I start you off with an Hors d'eouvre?" The waitress snuck up and asked, pen perched waiting for them to order.

Ron took a quick glance down at the menu and then back to the waitress. "Another minute?" He asked Hermione, to which she nodded.

"I'll be back in a bit then."

Ron watched as the waitress turned towards the back of the restaurant. He then looked at the menu, not really focusing on anything. He was so nervous tonight that he doubted he would even be able to taste the food.

"The crab sounded nice," Hermione commented.

"Yeah, or the duck." It wasn't much, but at least they were talking.

Once they had both discussed their orders and their menus were folded closed, they waited in silence for the waitress to come back.

Ron breathed a sigh of relief when two minutes later she returned. However, it was short lived, for once she took their orders and their menus, they were back to being alone.

"Why is this so hard?" Hermione asked.

"Wh-What?" Ron had been so focused on the flicker of the small candle that he hadn't really heard what she said.

"I asked… Why is this so hard?"

He grimaced. The date was already a failure.

"So… What were you doing in the bushes tonight?" She quirked a smile at him.

He blushed and stammered out, "I…err… I was just… I was just seeing what the noise was through the window. I thought I heard someone talking."

Hermione giggled at his discomfiture, which caused Ron to redden further.

"You look beautiful." He managed to get out.

Now it was Hermione's turn to blush.

Silence reigned once more.

Their dinner salads arrived, which gave them something to focus on. Ron had never been happier to shove something into his mouth, which was certainly saying something.

A clatter broke him from his determined salad eating. He looked up to see Hermione's fork resting in her bowl and her face staring at him fixedly.

"This is ridiculous Ron. We've been friends for years; we've been… more than that. This should not be this difficult."

"You didn't have to come," he sulked.

"No, I didn't. I wanted to come, but I wanted to come and talk to you, not stare at you awkwardly." She picked up her fork again, this time only to wave it around.

"So stop staring," he snapped. Ron wasn't sure why he got so testy about her comment, but it just irked him how she always felt the need to push at things.

"So it's going to be like that now?" Her voice rose and that familiar crease in her brow formed; the one that was a forewarning of an argument to come.

"Like what? Like you always trying to push things? Can't we just enjoy this dinner without you having to analyze everything?"

"I'm not allowed to ask a question? You are being ridiculous." The fork went back onto the table and she crossed her arms in vexation.

"I'm being ridiculous? You are the one who is ruining a perfectly good date by going on about how awkward it is." _Okay, so maybe that was a stupid point to make._

"Did you just hear yourself? If it is awkward then it is _not_ good." Her arms flew up in exasperation, causing the waitress to think that Hermione was gesturing for her.

The waitress arrived just in time to hear Ron say, "Then if it is so bad why don't you just leave?" The poor girl quickly turned around and went back to the drink station before she could hear Hermione's retort.

"Fine. If that's what you want then, fine. I don't even know why you asked to me to come if all you wanted to do was argue." She stood, her napkin falling gracelessly to the floor. Hermione snatched her purse and walked brusquely towards the door.

_Oh, shite!_

He knew he would screw it up. He rose just as quickly and almost tripped over his own napkin, before rushing out to follow her. The waitress, sensing that she might get stiffed, called out a loud 'Hey' that Ron waved off.

When he got outside he looked desperately to the right and left, only to find that Hermione was not anywhere in site.

"Holy Hell!" Ron shouted, irritated that she been able to apparate away so quickly.

He was about to pop away himself when he heard a small sniffling sound coming from the alley to the left. He crept over and peeked around the edge to see Hermione, brushing away tears.

"Hermione?" He asked in a soft voice.

"Go away!" She turned her back to him.

He came forward running his hand along her back. She pulled away from him, but he was strong enough to turn her around.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I am such a prat. Please don't cry." He wiped a tear away with the pad of his thumb.

"I didn't mean it," he continued. "Come back inside, we'll start all over." He was pleading now; his tone raised an entire octave.

She sniffled as she looked up at him. "I don't know why you're such a prat, either." Her lip twitched, and it made Ron remember their kiss from the other night.

A need to feel that again came over him so fast that he didn't even register what he was doing before he felt the familiar warmth of her lips on his. _Merlin, was she an amazing kisser!_

She pushed him gently away after a few moments, her face flushed. "We should probably get back in. Don't want the waitress to think we left without paying."

This time it was Hermione who led them in and effectively ignored the shocked and disgruntled expression of their waitress. Ron was too dazed from their kiss to even acknowledge there was anyone else in the room other than Hermione.

"So, tell me about what happened with Reynolds…"

**A/N: So, what did you think of their Second, First date? Believeable? What about who the 'bad guy' was? I didn't have anyone guess him in the reviews... but did some of you quieter ones guess?******

**Also note that the book that Hermione was reading was **_**The Count of Monte Cristo**_** by Alexandre Dumas (one of my all time favorites).******

**Thanks to all of you lovely readers and reviewers, hearing from you all makes my day.******

**Special thanks to Georgia Weasley for her wonderful beta job.**


	40. Second Half of the Second, First Date

"It's a good thing Ron has a good excuse for ignoring Hermione." Ginny grumbled as she looked at that morning's _Prophet_. "Maybe now he'll have time for her."

"What are you on about?" Harry asked as he pulled his cloak off.

He had just arrived back from the countryside, where he was visiting with Teddy and Andromeda.

Ginny stared up in surprise. She hadn't even noticed Harry coming in.

"Oh, just Ron being his pratish self. He went off and snogged Hermione and then didn't owl her for over four days." Ginny set the paper down and took a sip of her pumpkin juice.

"Wait? They snogged?" Harry plopped into the seat across from Ginny and looked at her in wonder.

"Yep. Apparently he had to go off on a mission and was holed up in some flat for a few days. Still think he could have sent an owl or a patronus, though." Ginny had been sour ever since she heard about Ron's lack of contact. Even with his excuse, Ginny couldn't find it in her heart to forgive him for setting her plans back.

"There was a mission? Damn. I was hoping to be with Ron when he went on his first assignment."

Ginny just 'humphed' and took another large gulp of her juice.

"You know we can't get in touch when we are on assignment, Gin." Harry said in his placating tone, one which grated on Ginny's ever frayed nerves.

"Whatever."

"Gin…" He rose from his chair and made his way to her side of the kitchen table.

"What?" She snapped back.

"Ginny…" His voice was low and husky; she tried her best to ignore the shivers that it sent up her spine.

"What?" Her voice rang out a little louder than she intended.

"Ginevra…" Harry whispered in her ear.

"Wh-what?" She choked out, not a trace of irritation in her tone.

"C'mere." He pulled her up and towards him, planting a slow, seductive kiss on her lips. He really knew how to pull her strings, she thought, but instead of minding she threw herself even deeper into their kiss.

Harry pulled away and eyed her lasciviously. She took in his own form as he took in hers, baby belly and all. She was just about to drag him back towards her, needing to feel him against her once more, when she noticed him stiffen.

His eyes had landed on _The Prophet_ Ginny had tossed on the table. It was folded, but the face of Reynolds could be seen flashing on the front. Instead of reaching for her, as Ginny was hoping he would, he grasped for the paper instead. His eyes darted back and forth along the page that was now opened up in full spread before him.

"What in the…" Harry threw the paper down, barely looked in Ginny's direction as he stormed towards the door, grasping his cloak on the way out. "I'll be back later, gotta go to the office," his voice called out as the door to the kitchen swung open and then shut behind him.

Ginny's foul mood came back in full force, this time it had the added benefit of dissatisfaction in it. God save anyone who passed her way today.

****

"It's just so hard to believe!" Hermione wondered incredulously.

"Tell me about it. I almost passed out when I saw who it was." Ron forked a piece of the chocolate cake he was splitting with Hermione.

"How did you know he wasn't just out there trying to help?" She asked as she savored the last bite of chocolate in her mouth.

"Veritaserum. Besides, he was supposed to be on another case all together. He assigned the lowest people on the totem pole to this case. Probably hoping none of us would be bright enough to figure it out." Ron grimaced at this idea.

"But _you_ did!" Hermione beamed at him in support. She could see his face redden slightly and he smiled sheepishly at her.

"Yeah." He sat up a little straighter in his chair.

Hermione couldn't help but think about how cute he was when he started to believe in himself. It was nice knowing she was still able to bolster him up like that.

"So, what now?" She asked.

"Well there's going to be a trial. And all of the people Reynolds has had a hand in putting away are going to have their cases re-evaluated. He really mucked things up. It's too bad, too, because some of the people who do deserve to be in Azkaban will get away once an appeal is made."

Hermione just nodded. It amazed her how someone so smart could have been so stupid. His blind hatred towards anything Death Eater had eroded his sense. Like Barty Crouch before him, Reynolds decided to take the law into his own hands, deciding who was innocent and who was guilty.

He had been planting cursed 'knick-knacks' all over England and finding some rumored Death Eater to blame it on. His most recent attempt had been to target Nott and then Malfoy; furious that they were getting away with Ron's kidnapping, even though neither of them really had had anything to do with it.

Though Nott was going to be in trouble for his memory charm on Ron, apparently that wasn't enough for Reynolds.

"It's a big mess all right."

"They said they are going to have to hire a whole new team to evaluate the cases. It's going to take years to get it all sorted out."

Hermione's ears couldn't help but perk up at this. "Which department is going to be taking this on?" She asked in an offhanded manner.

"Magical Law Enforcement, I think." Ron said as he scratched at the side of his face.

Hermione couldn't help but break into a broad smile. She had been looking for a job ever since Draco sent the divorce papers. She had wanted to try and get her old job back, but her boss informed her that there was just no way, he just didn't have the budget to hire on anyone else. He truly looked sad about it too, but now there was going to be a new team made; she knew she could get one of those slots.

"What are you so happy about? It's going to be a horrible pain in the arse to clean this guy's mess up."

"Nothing. It's just, well, I think I can get one of those new openings." She placed her napkin neatly on the table. "I've been dreadfully bored ever since the book's been finished. And I will need a job if I ever want to get out of my parent's house."

"Didn't Malfoy give you anything when he left you? Stingey bastard," Ron scowled.

"Yes, he was more than generous. But I could not accept it," Hermione said in a clipped tone. "I would appreciate it if you would not be so negative about him in front of me. He was a good husband, and he is a good man." Ron's scowl became even more pronounced, but Hermione continued. "I am serious, Ron. He doesn't deserve your derision."

"Fine," Ron conceded, but he crossed his arms in petulance. "I will try to be more understanding, but I won't like him, Hermione. And you can't make me."

He sounded so much like a five year old that Hermione felt the irrepressible need to roll her eyes, but she couldn't keep the small grin from playing on her face either. He was cute even when he was acting like a baby.

****

"So what now?" Hermione asked as the waitress handed Ron the check.

He left a small tip to make up for the debacle from earlier in the evening.

"You'll see." He winked at her, and was pleased to see her flush.

Grabbing her hand, Ron took her from her seat and led them out of the bistro. Her hand felt small and soft in his. Tiny bolts of electricity shot up his arm as they walked to their next destination. It wasn't far, and though it was cold, Ron could hardly feel the bite of the wind.

He brought them in front of an old book shop, _Books and Crannies_, and looked to see Hermione's eyes widen and dance in the faint light of the street lamp.

"You wanna go in?"

She just nodded her head and walked into the store as if in a trance. _You would think that she hadn't been in a book store in years, _Ron thought. The truth was, this was not just any book store.

This was the store where Hermione bought her very first book all by herself. Not to mention that it was a magical book store. It had a habit of moving around. Sometimes it would be located in Peru, then a moment after you left it would be in a small town in Texas. Hermione had told Ron she had searched for the bookstore for years after that day.

She had only enough money to buy one book at the time, _Hogwarts; A History_.

"How did you find it?" Hermione asked in awe.

Ron shrugged, "Looked it up in one of the directories at the Ministry. All magical shops and stores need to register if they want to operate in this country."

She looked up and beamed at him. "I should have thought of that."

Ron turned away in embarrassment and tried to hold back the smile that was itching to cross his face.

"Well, c'mon." He said as he pulled her further into the store.

The store was warm, a vast difference from the frosty temperatures of outside. Hermione rubbed her other hand along the back of their entwined fingers before dragging him through the shop.

The lady who worked there just smiled as they, or rather, Hermione perused the shelves. They came upon a large Quidditch section and Hermione let Ron run wild, which he found easy enough to do.

They sat next to each other in leather high backed chairs, each engrossed in their own reading. Every few minutes though, Ron would look up and catch eyes with Hermione. They would share a sheepish smile and then go back to browsing.

Hermione found seventeen books that she wanted to buy, while Ron actually ended up with three. Two on Quidditch and one called _The Unseeable Man_, a book full of ways to sneak about without detection. Something he thought would be helpful if he was going to be expected to go on these scouting expeditions often.

"It's 'bout time ta close up," the woman from behind the counter said in a slow southern drawl.

They brought their purchases to the front of the shop. Ron helped carry quite a few of Hermione's selections.

"How am I ever going to find this place again?" Hermione asked the sales clerk.

"We come the third Saturday a month to London, you just hafta look fer us. Of course we also can come by appointment, but only if it's a very special need." She then winked at Ron. He was grateful that the stack of Hermione's books was covering his face, for there was no hiding the crimson color creeping up his cheeks.

Four large bags of books later and they were back out in the cold, the dim lights of the shop fading to nothing behind them.

"I can't believe you found that store for me." Hermione gushed.

"It was nothing." Ron brushed off.

"Nothing? That was wonderful. I can't believe you remembered." She paused for a second, probably thinking about how memories could be a sore subject for Ron, and then continued, "I mean, I must have told you that in third year. It's been ages since I have even thought about it."

Ron would have shrugged, but he was weighed down by the majority of the books.

"I wouldn't have forgotten. It was the day that I first realized that I liked you as, y'know, more than a friend."

"Oh." It was Hermione's turn to blush yet again.

"You wanna come back to the burrow? Mum'll probably make us hot chocolate." _Merlin, how lame was it that he was still living at home with his parents?_

"That'd be nice."

Ron couldn't help but stumble upon apparating to _The Burrow._ Not that anyone can blame him with three bags of books and Hermione in his arms. She dropped her bag and came quickly to help balance him, though with her small frame and his much larger one, it didn't really help much.

They found themselves twisted together in the snow, books strewn across the lawn.

Laughter spilled from Hermione's lips, and though Ron was frustrated and embarrassed at first, he couldn't help but start laughing along with her. He methodically untangled himself and leaned on his arm to watch as Hermione continued to chuckle.

Her cheeks were wind-blown and her chocolate eyes danced as her chest heaved up and down in mirth.

"You are so beautiful," he said, though it was meant to be only in his head.

She stopped laughing.

Snow clung to her hair as she, too, rose and propped herself on one arm. There was no hesitation, Ron swept in and kissed her thoroughly. The snow melted between them as the kiss heated up. Ron put his hand up to her side and slowly began to run it along her body. He was just about to cup her breast when Hermione quickly pushed him away.

"The books!" She all but shouted, and began to scramble up and gather the books into the bags.

Ron groaned, but picked himself up and began to gather the books as well.

****

They were sitting in living room of The Burrow, hot chocolate warming their bodies, when Hermione decided to broach the subject again.

"So, third year huh?" She looked up from behind her steaming cup.

"Wha-, oh, er… yes."

She couldn't stop the giggle from escaping; Ron just looked so cute when he didn't know what to say.

"I knew in third year, too." Hermione was a little shocked with herself for admitting it. They had never really had this conversation the first time around.

He jerked slightly, enough to spill a bit of the hot chocolate onto his lap, which of course caused him to jerk even more. Now his entire cup was spilled on the couch and the floor, not to mention down his shirt and the front of his trousers.

"Ow! Fuck!" He cried out in pain.

Hermione carefully put her mug down and waved her wand, shooting a cooling charm in his direction. He settled back into the couch, waving his own wand now that he wasn't in scalding pain.

"I remember feeling bad that Harry couldn't come with us to Hogsmeade, but at the same time…" Hermione cast her eyes down, "I was excited to be alone with you." Her eyelashes shuttered back up and she met his piercing stare of bewilderment.

"That's when you told me about the book shop. Right before we got to the Shrieking Shack."

"And you remembered." Her voice was soft and her fingers gripped the mug of chocolate she had picked back up.

"I never forget what you tell me." One side of her mouth quirked upwards. "Okay, well except for all that rubbish you spew from books. That I just never hear in the first place."

Ron shot her a lopsided grin and it sent tingles down her spine. _Merlin, how she wanted to be kissing him! To feel his hands all over her. _A blush crept up slowly on her face from her heady thoughts. One look in his direction would surely make her needs impossible to suppress. She instead became fascinated with the intricate weave of the chair she was sitting on. She had never noticed the slight hints of green that were interwoven with the brownish, yellow. It was a pretty green. Like fresh sage.

Focused on the fabric as she was, she didn't register that Ron was no longer sitting back on the couch, and was instead stooping in front of her. He lifted her chin with his finger and pulled her into a standing position.

There was no resisting. There was no need. When their lips met, Hermione forgot everything but the feel of him. Her fingers crept up on his back, beneath his shirt. She could feel the small pin pricks of goose bumps on his back, and she relished the knowledge that she had done that to him.

He made a low moan when her nails scratched lightly down his spine. Now it was her turn to have goose bumps. His lips detached from hers and he trailed kisses along her neck and collar bone.

Oh, how she had missed this! Hermione's mind went completely blank except for the warm feel of his breath on her neck and behind her ear. His fingers deftly began to unbutton the back of her dress. Her straps slowly slipped down from her shoulders. His mouth moved to her shoulders and she gripped his back even tighter.

Of their own accord, her hands began to pull Ron's shirt up, exposing his freckled skin. He broke away from her as he removed his shirt the rest of the way. When she felt his warm chest against her own the only thought that entered her mind was that she was home.

Their kissing heated up even further and they were both completely lost in one another. So lost that they didn't hear the familiar creak of the third stair; they didn't hear the thumping of someone walking in the hall. Even the clink of a glass didn't disturb their joint ministrations.

Nothing short of a herd of elephants would have gotten them out of their world. Elephants, and perhaps Molly Weasley dropping a glass of warm milk on the floor and her mild expletive of, "My goodness!"

Hermione jumped away from Ron, not the smartest thing to do as her dress was barely hanging onto her waist. She quickly gathered the cloth further up to cover her chest.

Ron, whose skin was flushing from his torso up, kept his body turned away from the door, as if not seeing his mum would make this situation go away.

Molly once again proved more together than either Ron or Hermione, and was able to collect herself rather quickly. "Well, I'd say we're even. Wouldn't you?" and with that she wanded the milk and shards of glass from the floor and disappeared back into the hall.

Hermione and Ron stayed on opposite sides of the room, each with a look of shock etched onto their faces. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to cry, she wanted to continue their explorations from before, but more than all of that Hermione felt like she just might throw up.

Ron seemed to have the same idea, as she watched him take a large gulp, his eyes averted. Ron moved first as he grabbed for his tossed shirt that was splayed out on the chair Hermione had been sitting in. He pulled it on, still not meeting Hermione's eyes.

Hermione took his cue and started to pull the straps of her dress over her shoulders, but her buttons in the back proved difficult. She was awkwardly reaching behind her trying to clasp the last three buttons, when Ron came up and did it for her. She gave him a grateful smile that could have been a construed as a grimace.

"So, that was…," she began.

"Dreadful!" Ron finished for her.

"Yeah," Hermione nodded in agreement. "How am I ever going to be able to look at your mum again?" She covered her face with her hands.

Ron pulled her fingers away and looked guiltily at her.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away."

"No, _we_ got carried away." She grinned at him, a little more light hearted now. Tomorrow, when she wasn't so filled with the humiliation of it all, she might even laugh about it. After last week, she had to admit it was a bit funny. There was a definite sort of justice to it.

"I better get home. Dad's probably waiting up for me."

"I'll come with."

"I'd like that." Hermione took Ron's hand and they walked out into the night. She would never be able to call this an uneventful date.

**A/N: I posted this one a bit sooner so that the date wasn't split up too far apart. I hope you enjoyed it :) ******

**The name of the bookstore came from a bookstore located in Texas, I thought it was cute. I hope you liked that bit. So let me know what you thought of my explanation for Reynolds, was it enough or not? ******

**How about the remainder of the date? Did you like how it ended? ******

**Thanks so much to all of you for reading and reviewing.,,, and as you probably know by now, none of this would be possible without the beta help of Georgia Weasley.**


	41. He Scores

Ginny was sulking. Two days till Christmas and she had hardly seen Harry at all the past couple of weeks. With Reynolds locked-up, Harry had been given a promotion. He now led a small team of Aurors, though a new head of department had yet to be decided.

Ginny was lonely. Hermione was spending way too much time with Ron, that is, when she wasn't working her arse off at the ministry. Why she ever wanted to go back there was beyond Ginny. Hermione had it perfectly easy and could have lived off Draco for years, not to mention her book. Though, it wasn't really a top seller. Not really surprising. How many people honestly cared about Egyptian influence on today's magic? It wasn't nearly as exciting as _The Voyage of the Vampires_; the book Ginny just finished reading.

Ron of course couldn't be pulled away either, which made Ginny slightly regret pushing them so hard to get together. If she had known they would just end up blowing her off, she probably would have delayed it at least until the baby had come.

Some of her friends from the Harpies had stopped by earlier on in the week, but their visit ended up making Ginny even more miserable. It reminded her that she was no longer able to play Quidditch, at least not for a while. _Stupid baby! _ She again wondered why it was that women were responsible for this part of reproduction and how men got off so easily – pun intended.

She couldn't floo now that she had grown so big. She wasn't able to apparate. She was stuck all alone at home, with all her friends and family off working. It really was garbage being pregnant.

Ginny was actually considering the idea of reading Hermione's book when a head popped in her floo.

"Hello my fine, pregnant sister." George's head bobbed amongst the green lick of flames.

"What do you want?" Ginny asked warily. George did not usually flatter unless he wanted something or was up to something

"What? A brother can't come and visit his younger sister just because? I am truly hurt." Had Ginny been able to see his body, she was sure a hand was held clenching to his heart in mock pain.

"Spit it out, I haven't got all day." _Lie. _She had more than all day; she had until February 24th according to their Healer.

"Well now that you mention it. D'you mind if I pop in?" He grinned mischievously at her.

Ginny sighed and shrugged her shoulder. "Might as well." Now that she actually had some potential company, Ginny decided she was much better off alone.

As much as she adored George, and she really did, she rather liked being in a sour mood and he was sure to cheer her of that.

His stalky frame arose from the fireplace and ambled towards her sitting place on the couch.

"How're you feeling, sis?" His smile never wavered as he took in her large, bulbous frame.

"Never better. My feet are swollen, I can't shave my legs, I don't sleep at night, and when I do I end up waking up to pee. I would love a drink, but apparently 'that's bad for the baby'." She ran out of steam at that point.

"So good then?"

_God was he ever cheerful today._

"Bloody fantastic," she moaned.

"So, what'd you really come here for? S'not like you've been much interested before."

Just as she had imagined when his head was in the fire, George gripped at his heart in mock pain. "There are no words to express how you have just wounded me."

Ginny just rolled her eyes.

"Okay, well there is something." George scooted a little closer to her on the couch, "But you can't tell anyone. Not yet at least. Ange would kill me if she knew I was even telling you but…"

This perked Ginny up quite a bit, and she sat up straighter and looked eagerly towards her elder brother.

"She's up the duff," he whispered conspiratorially.

Once the shock of the announcement wore off, she said, "You're having a kid?"

"I thought it was time to stop robbing the world of my incredible breeding." He bolstered his chest out, but his eyes looked nervously down to Ginny's belly.

"So, when're you gonna tell mum and dad?"

"We were thinking Christmas. Give mum a nice present."

"Good, maybe now that you're getting married mum'll quit bothering me about my elopement."

"Who said anything about marriage?"

"What?" Ginny looked at George in surprise. "You are getting married aren't you?"

"Not anytime soon."

She blinked. How could they not get married? It isn't as if they aren't completely gaga over one another. Not to mention that now they were starting a family.

"Why not?"

George shrugged.

"You have to get married. Mum'll go nuts. Besides, it's not like you don't love Ange. No reason not to just seal the deal."

"She said no," was George's small reply.

"Who? Ange?"

"Who else? I asked her, but she said no. Said that getting married just because we were having a baby was stupid. Won't even consider it until she's good an' ready, she said." George looked a little perturbed, but his ebullience soon came back.

"So now you get to be an aunt."

"I'm already an aunt." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but Bill doesn't count. I mean, I'm your favorite brother." He flashed a winning smile in her direction, and she couldn't help but grin back.

Her grin slowly twisted into an evil smirk.

"What?" George looked at her warily.

"I can't wait until you tell mum you aren't getting married. She's gonna kill you."

****

Hermione had just put the finishing touches on her new living room and was enjoying a steaming cup of tea when there was a knock at her door.

"Coming," she called, as she put her cup down and headed to open the door.

Peeping through the tiny peephole, Hermione could see a flash of ginger. She grinned and pulled the door open. She was greeted with an arm around her waist and a pair of soft lips that melted with her own.

She pulled away and tried to push Ron into the flat. "My neighbors will see," she whisper/scolded him.

"So." He went in for another one, but Hermione was quick and dodged into her flat from under his arm.

"So, I don't want them talking about the slag down the hall who goes about kissing blokes outside her door all day."

"You've been kissing blokes all day?" He cocked a brow at her.

She hit him on the arm, but he took her hand and pulled her back towards him, continuing the ministrations he had begun in the hallway.

She pushed him off of her again and Ron gave a low groan of displeasure.

"We have to meet Linus in ten minutes."

"That's plenty of time." Ron leaned in once more, but Hermione pushed him back.

"Ron!" She scolded.

"Fine. But I want a full hour snog when this disaster is done." He crossed his arms and stood tall and imposing in front of her.

"And what makes you think this will be a disaster?" She huffed.

"I know it will. Mitzi is going to throw a fit."

"Well, I think you're wrong. They just need to be in the same room together. It will all work out." However, Hermione was inwardly hesitant still in her plan to re-unite the pair. They were both being stupid, and if there was one thing she couldn't stand it was watching two people who were in love not being together, especially knowing her own displeasure at being away from Ron for so long. In her happy state of bliss being united with him, she felt it was her duty to help those lost souls come together once more.

Ron shrugged, "We'll see, but about that hour…"

Hermione winked at him as she opened the door. "We'll see."

****

She was brilliant, Ron knew that, but this was just daft. There was no way in the world Mitzi was ever going to go for this, and it was Ron's head that would be chewed off tomorrow. But, he loved Hermione. So if she got it into her head she was going to play matchmaker, then Ron would just go along with it.

Besides, Mitzi could bitch all she wanted, he didn't want to sleep with _her_. And tonight, should things go better than Ron expected with Mitzi and Linus, he was hoping to get his wish. Now that Hermione had a place of her own, they could avoid any chances of being interrupted.

Ever since their date a couple of weeks ago, she had been skittish about doing anything more than kissing him when there was even the slightest possibility of someone walking in. Even last weekend, when her parents had gone down to Lime for holiday, she still wouldn't let him get farther than a little heavy petting.

They walked to a deserted alley beside Hermione's flat so that they could apparate. It was somewhat annoying that she had insisted on living so closely to muggles, but only because it forced him to be careful about using his magic.

The pub was smoky and a crowded, but Ron could see Linus was already there, sitting at a small booth to the right. They made their way through the throng with Hermione leading.

"Good evening, Linus." Hermione said as she slid into the opposite side of the booth.

Linus looked up from his pint, "Hi," he managed to say. His posture was stiff, and though Ron had only met him on one other occasion, he could tell that the poor sod was nervous. And well he should be, springing his presence on Mitzi would have any man in a state; she could be quite scary.

Hermione shot Ron a pleading look, which Ron took as his queue to be polite.

"Don't worry mate, she can't hex you too horribly in front of all these witnesses." Hermione pinched his thigh. Perhaps that wasn't quite the greeting she had been hoping for from him.

"You don't know Mitzi, then. This crowd won't hinder her." Linus lifted his gaze back from his drink and chuckled lightly.

The tension in his shoulders seemed to lessen, if only a little bit. Ron shot Hermione a grin, an I-said-the-right-thing-so-ha, type of grin. She in turn frowned at him, but seeing as how his humor had relieved the tension somewhat, Ron did not feel the least bit sorry,

"What's this then?" Mitzi was standing at Ron's shoulder, her eyes blazing. "You've decided to ambush me?" She glared at Linus for a moment before shooting her eyes in Ron and Hermione's direction.

"N-no," Hermione began to say, but Ron had dealt enough with Mitzi to know backing down was not going to do anything but bolster her anger.

"Yes. Yes we did. Now sit down and I'll buy you a drink with that bonus money I got last week for helping in the capture of Reynolds."

Hermione's forehead scrunched up, which Ron thought was an incredibly sexy look on her. Perhaps because she didn't wear that look often.

After a minute of waffling, Mitzi grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat down, leaving Linus sitting alone on his side of the booth. It also left another pub patron without a seat, but when the owner of the chair tried to argue, Mitzi just shot her fierce gaze and the witch backed away from their table slowly.

"I'm gonna go grab us those drinks. What do you want?" Ron looked down upon Mitzi as he rose from the bench.

"Ogden's, straight," Mitzi replied, not taking her steely eyes off of Linus.

To Linus' credit, he didn't blanch once, though Ron could see from his standing position that he was gripping the seat of the bench rather tightly.

"Come help me bring the drinks back," Ron said to Hermione.

Mitzi shot him another piercing look, but Ron chose to ignore it. He would deal with her wrath tomorrow.

Hermione was a little more hesitant in getting up, probably finally realizing the error of her judgment.

"You're leaving them alone?" She whispered to him when they got far enough away from the table.

"This was your idea."

"Yeah, but I didn't think you would leave them alone so quickly. I mean, she looks like she is going to stab him with a fork any minute now."

"Nah, she'll hex him before she starts on any stabbing. Blood makes her queasy, that'll be a last resort."

They reached the bar and stood squished in between the many other pub goers trying to wrangle a drink from the lone bar witch.

Hermione looked back. "They're talking."

Ron turned to see that Hermione was only half right. Mitzi was talking, or more likely, hissing. Linus was just sitting there with a blank expression on his face.

"Yeah." No point in telling Hermione, it would only make her want to go back and diffuse the situation. Ron knew the only thing that would accomplish that was separating the two ex love birds.

"I'll have two Ogden's straight up and a…" he looked down to Hermione, who was too focused on watching Linus and Mitzi interact to notice his questioning glance, "…glass of white wine."

He had to push the glass of wine in front of her face before she noticed it was time to head back into the fray.

"Don't even think for one second I am going to accept another one of your lame excuses. I told you before, I am done. I won't sit around and wait for you."

"Ahem." Ron grunted, effectively making Mitzi shut up. Well, that and the glass of firewhisky he sat down in front of her.

Ron watched as she took a large swig of her drink, emptying the glass entirely. She slammed it back on the table, wiped her mouth, and then stood. "Well, it's been a pleasure." Mitzi turned and pushed her way through the crowd without a backwards glance.

"Well, that went well," Ron smirked.

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to spill some of his drink.

She slid into the booth once more and looked questioningly at Linus. "So…?" He quirked his eyebrow at her; a look which seemed to infuriate Hermione.

"So… what happened?" She growled out.

"She left. Doesn't that tell you enough?" He shot back.

Though it was entertaining to watch Hermione get proven wrong, Ron did want her in a good mood if he was going to make his move tonight.

"No need to snap at her mate. She's just concerned." He wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders, and grinned at how well she fit into the natural crevice his body created.

"Sorry," Linus sulked into the bench.

"It's okay. Maybe next time…"

"Next time? You're daft. There won't be a next time. I'll likely get my man parts blown off."

"But Linus," Hermione pressed.

"No. There is no more. I tried, I failed. Just let it go."

Ron rubbed her arm cajolingly, hoping that it would stop her from pressing the issue.

"You're being an idiot… but I'll let it go for now."

"Atta girl." Ron whispered into her ear. He saw tiny goose bumps prickle up her neck, a sight which made him want to end this evening as soon as possible, even after she elbowed him.

The rest of the evening passed awkwardly, not to mention slowly. But finally, it did draw to a close and Ron was grateful to say good bye to moping Linus and the crowded pub.

He wrapped Hermione in his arms tightly as he apparated them back to the alley way behind her flat. When they popped into the darkness, the cold wrapping around them tightly, Ron held her even closer.

Her lips warmed his as he kissed her; unable to wait the few moments it would have taken to go to her apartment. Their bodies pushed back onto one another, Ron's, being bigger, won and he moved her back against the brick wall that was her building.

She didn't seem to even notice, because her kisses increased in intensity. His hands began to wander, not able to keep to himself any longer. They were aching to grab hold of something. He slid them up through the many layers of her jumpers and cloak and felt the smooth skin he had craved all evening.

She let out a moan, which only fueled Ron further in his caresses. Her hands were just as grasping, and he felt her nails dig into his back.

If it hadn't been for the low whistle from above he might have just taken her right there. Though the interruption was not welcome, it served to sober him enough to realize that this was not where he wanted their second first time to be.

He glowered at the teenage kid who had whistled down at them from his flat and pulled Hermione quickly up the stairs and into her own place.

She had been embarrassed by being caught yet again, but Ron was not about to let her embarrassment ruin this. He pushed forward. At first her lips were more hesitant, but after only a few seconds she warmed to him again.

Ron pulled at the first layer of her clothes, grasping to remove them. It was sloppy and graceless, but once that layer was gone the rest seemed to come off with ease. Soon they were both standing in nothing but what they were born in.

It was glorious. The slender figure that had been etched in his memories, now that he had them back, was nothing compared to the real thing. So focused on her, he didn't even have time to be nervous. Which, though eager as he was, he had been earlier.

Without any hesitation, he took her back into his arms. Their bodies melded together as he pushed them back towards her new bedroom. The pristine bed that she had just made hours before was ruined after their groping bodies reached it.

Feverishly, they held onto one another. Their passion swelled. Their bodies acted as one. It had never been as magnificent as on that night. Their second, first time. No awkward caresses, no questioning about what felt good or not. Just heat, emotions, and feeling.

When they were done, they each lay sweaty across the bed, panting. Ron reached his hand along the mattress and found Hermione's. He held it tightly as they each stared up at the ceiling, reveling in the afterglow of their love making.

**A/N: It is about time. So sorry for the delay, but my little sproggy has exhausted me completely (that is the name of my un born baby). I can now completely sympathize with dear Ginny.**

**So… thoughts? There are only 3 more chapters left… well one of them is an epilogue that will lead into the Next Gen Sequel. Anyway, thanks as always for reading and especially those who take the time to review.******

**Thanks goes out to my awesome Beta Georgia Weasley. ******


	42. Closure

Christmas was, as it always had been, a tumult of activity. The Burrow, which had been rebuilt after the war and now was able to better accommodate the ever growing Weasley clan, still had that too-small feel to it. Ginny was sitting back on the couch, taking up more than her share of space and watching as Fleur tried to get Dominique to stop crying.

She had been born less than a month ago in France, where Fleur stayed with her mother during the last month of pregnancy. This was the first time most of the family was getting a chance to see her, as there had been complications and the baby needed to be kept for a few weeks for observation.

Thankfully, everything was all right now. Well, except for her excessive wailing, which was causing Ginny's head to ache in increasing measure. She placed her fingers tightly against her temples, pointing them harder into her head, hoping to quash the pounding throb of her brain. It was only going to get worse, she knew, for George still had his little announcement to make.

Finally, Fleur managed to quiet Dominique, and Ginny released the firm grip on her head. She was just settling into the glorious quiet, or rather, as quiet as The Burrow can get during Christmas, when George decided it was time for his announcement.

He raised both his voice and his glass to the room at large. "I would like to propose a toast. To my wonderful family, it is a pleasure to be spending the holidays with you all."

Ginny noticed that everyone was shifting their eyes around in surprise and wariness. It was a rare occasion, and usually an ill boding one, when George started off a speech in such a sweet manner.

"I would also like to toast to my beautiful girlfriend, Angelina, who at this moment is serving as an incubator for my magnificent spawn." He raised his glass higher and then took a large sip of his drink.

Confusion was the first reaction for everyone, at least until Hermione explained properly the function of an incubator. Then Molly could be heard shrieking in pleasure. Snippets of words like _wedding dress _and _a proper wedding_ could be heard across the room.

Angelina gave George an icy stare, probably because she didn't like being referred to as an incubator, something that Ginny could completely agree with.

"Actually Mrs. Weasley…"

"Oh, call me Molly. We are going to be family after all."

"Molly," Angelina corrected herself. "We will not be getting married. At least, not anytime soon."

A quiet that hadn't been heard in that house in years suddenly enveloped the room. Everyone looked between Ginny's mum, George, and Angelina.

"What do you mean? Of course you are getting married."

"No, we aren't," Angelina came back. A collective gasp could be heard.

"George, tell me that you did not forget to propose to this woman?" Ginny's mum now focused her building anger onto George. He backed up a step and just shook his head.

"He did ask. I have refused."

Her mum turned sharply back to Angelina. "You have refused?" Her voice not only filled with anger and disbelief, it had a coldness that Ginny had never heard before.

"Yes, ma'am, I have. I do not think it is right just to get married because we have been careless in our protection methods." Angelina crossed her arms, ready to stand firm against her formidable opponent.

Ginny's mum stood there, shock etched all over her face. Then, in a slow simmering voice she hissed, "Get out!"

Angelina flinched, though Ginny doubted that most people noticed. Everyone else was focused on the clenching and un-clenching of her mum's jaw.

"Gladly," Angelina retorted with a calmness that impressed Ginny greatly. Then Ange pulled George by the arm, and though he continued to stare in bewilderment at his mum, he came easily enough.

As soon as they were gone, the rest of the family looked around, shuffled their feet, and for the most part avoided Ginny's mum's eyes.

It was the worst Christmas since the first one after Fred had died. Ginny's headache came back in full force.

****

"Wanna go for lunch?" Ron popped his head into Hermione's office; files were stacked neatly around her desk.

She looked up from her work and smiled. "Sure. Let me just wrap this up." She started scribbling furiously at the paperwork in front of her, occasionally looking through one of the files on her desk.

Ron stood leaning against the door, watching on as she shuffled about. Her forehead crinkled between her eyebrows. He could probably have watched for hours, and might not have even noticed the grumble in his stomach, had Hermione not looked up at him and blushed.

Her pink cheeks sent a longing down through his body. Ron closed the door to her office, waved his wand, and instead of taking her out to lunch as he had planned decided to take her on her desk. She tried to protest at first, but after one long kiss from Ron, her inhibitions were completely removed.

It was quick but satisfying, and they were off to lunch ten minutes later, hand in hand.

"So, any updates about George?" Hermione asked as they walked briskly towards the small diner on the corner.

"Ginny said she tried to talk to mum about it, but mum's just ignoring any comment involving his name." Ron shrugged. "I haven't seen her like this since the Percy incident. Though worse… much worse."

"Maybe once your mum has a chance to cool down everything will be okay."

"She's already had over a month. I think it'll be a while before she forgives. Probably not until the baby is born. Can't imagine that she won't want to see her grandkid."

They sat down at their usual table in the diner. Each of them ordered what was becoming their customary fare. Hermione had a cup of soup with a small salad while Ron got the double-decker roast beef sandwich, chips, and a side of baked beans.

It was Hermione's fourth bite into her salad when her fork stopped in mid-air to her lips, a piece of lettuce falling gracelessly onto her lap.

"Whasffamattah?" Ron asked with a mouth full of roast beef.

She almost looked scared in her stillness. Finishing his bite, Ron turned his head in the direction of her fixed gaze. There, standing just as still in the doorway, was Malfoy. His designer robes looked as crisp as ever. As soon as Malfoy noticed Ron sitting at the table as well, a familiar sneer graced his lips.

Ron turned back towards Hermione and was thankful to see that the spell had been broken.

"Do you want to leave?" Ron hoped that she did. There was no way that he was going to be in the same room with that wanker, no matter what nice things Hermione had to say about him.

She gave him a wan smile. "No, of course not." Then she set back into her salad.

Ron, unfortunately, was no longer hungry. He began to dip one of his chips in vinegar over and over until it became so soggy that it practically dissolved. He noticed, despite all her assurances of being fine, her back was just a little too straight and her smile just a little too wide.

Even though his back was facing wherever it was that Malfoy happened to be sitting now, he felt as if those condescending eyes were boring into his skull, probably with as much hatred as Ron himself felt for the stupid git.

By the time the check had come and the waitress had boxed up the remainder of his food (he knew his appetite would be back eventually), Ron knew that there was no way they were going to escape without some sort of confrontation. He clenched his fists in preparation for some serious muggle dueling.

They headed for the door, Ron focused on not looking in any direction other than that of the way out. Hermione's hand, which was clasped in his, loosened from his grip.

He turned to see if she was okay. She stood, hesitating, her lower lip held firmly beneath her front teeth.

"I think I'd better…," her eyes turned in _his _direction.

Ron was about to protest. Everything in him wanting to grab her like a Quaffle and run her out of the diner, but seeing the worried expression on her face, and knowing that he had nothing to worry about, Ron nodded.

"I'll be right over there," he gestured with his head towards the front, by the door.

His eyes never left her as she made her way over to the booth that the ferret was sitting in. He thanked Merlin that she had enough sense not to sit, and instead just chose to hover near the table. Ron couldn't really see her expressions, as she was now facing the stupid, sodding, shit for brains. Instead, he focused on her body language, and was grateful to see her fists clenched firmly at her sides.

He watched as, if possible, Draco's face paled and then blushed. Ron wished desperately he had a set of extendable ears on him.

The door opened and let in a rush of cold air. In walked a prim looking witch wearing charcoal robes. Her hair was tied back tightly in a bun at the nape of her neck and she waved a manicured finger at Draco's table when the waitress made a move to grab a menu for her.

The witch bee-lined towards Draco and Hermione, her briefcase held firmly in an iron grip. She put a hand on Draco's shoulder and leaned in to peck him on the cheek. Ron had never seen anyone turn so red in his life, which was saying something considering he was a Weasely.

Hermione shook the witch's hand, which made part of her face visible. Ron noticed that she looked a bit flustered. Then the witch put down her things and went for the restroom at the back of the diner. There were a few more shared words, then a nod, and Hermione made her way back towards Ron.

"So… How'd it go?"

"Fine," she said as she headed for the door, not looking back nor looking Ron in the eye. He followed behind, anxious and a little bit nervous about what had gone on.

****

She felt surprised that Ron hadn't put up more of a fight. Honestly, she had been hoping for one. Then she would be able to just leave and not feel guilty for not stopping by the table, being able to blame it on Ron's jealousy rather than her own cowardice.

Her legs felt like lead as she approached his booth. His eyes were unwaveringly fastened on her own. When she finally reached him, his familiar cologne pervaded her senses. It was too musky for her, always had been, but she felt a lingering sense of remorse that she would no longer have that scent to annoy her.

"Hi." Hermione's fingers clenched so fiercely that tiny pricks where her nails met skin were beginning to cause pain.

"Hello." His voice was measured, even, and calm; another thing that drove her mad. _Why could he never show any emotion?_

"How've you been?" It was like pulling teeth. Where once they had an easy camaraderie, now there was a screen of ice in between them.

"Good, and you?"

"Good, thank you."

"Yes, I can see that." His eyes gestured towards where Ron was standing.

"That's not fair. You left me remember?" How dare he get snarky with her about Ron? Not after she had agreed to stay with him and then he just bailed. _Who does that? A coward, that's who._

His face paled.

"There was no point in staying."

Her fingers clenched even tighter. "No point? We were married. You agreed that you would be with me forever!" She hissed. Why she was so upset, she didn't know. Hermione had Ron now, but still his rejection had hurt. She had taken their vows seriously, and he had just blown them off.

His face became flushed with irritation. "That was when I thought it would be possible. Before wonder-weasel came back. Before I found out that no matter how much I loved you, it would never be enough. I am not a consolation prize, Hermione."

It was her turn to flush. "You weren't…" she found she couldn't finish the sentence, because he was right. He would have been second place to her, no matter how hard he tried.

He seemed to take pity on her. "You couldn't help it, you know." His hand gestured to reach for her, but he pulled it back. "That ring wouldn't have let you choose."

When Hermione cocked a brow at him he clarified, "I know what the ring does. You think I have never seen a spell like that before? Though in my family, it has much darker purposes."

There was a clack of heels behind her and suddenly she was faced with a very polished looking witch. The woman placed a hand on Draco's shoulder and then kissed him lightly on the cheek. Hermione noticed that her left hand sported a rather large, rather familiar looking diamond ring.

She took a hard swallow.

"Hello darling. Sorry I'm late. Hope you weren't waiting long."

Draco's face turned crimson and he sputtered, "No, not at all. Astoria, this is Hermione. Hermione, this is Astoria Greengrass, my fiancée."

The woman held out her perfectly manicured hand and shook Hermione's with one firm shake before placing her belongings in the booth.

"Going to pop into the ladies for the bit, be back soon. Nice meeting you, Hermione."

"Yeah," was all the Hermione could stutter out before Astoria turned and left them.

"So you're getting married? To your attorney, no less." Her voice came out sounding accusing, and so it was. He waited only four months, so much for his undying love for her. Of course, she was in love with Ron, but still… They had only just started sleeping together.

"You are, too." He countered.

"No, I am not."

"Maybe not yet, but you will be. No point in lying about it, Hermione."

She had nothing to counter that remark, and deciding that she had been there long enough, said, "Yes, well… It was nice seeing you again, Draco. I wish you and Astoria all the best."

She began to turn to go, but his quiet voice stopped her. "I'll always love you, Hermione." His eyes glistened until he blinked, and the wetness completely disappeared.

"Draco, don't…" She pleaded, feeling her eyes tingle as well. "Astoria seems really nice, and I am sure that she loves you. You deserve that kind of love."

His posture stiffened and his mask fell back into place.

"Yes, well. It was nice seeing you, as well."

Hermione took her cue and walked as quickly to Ron as she could without looking like she was running away. But she was.

There was no question in her mind that she loved Ron more than anything, that he was who she was meant to be with, but that didn't make leaving Draco behind any easier. And it didn't make seeing him with another woman any better, either. Healing would take time for both of them. Hermione was guilty in admitting she thought it might take him a little longer. For no matter what reason he chose to propose to Astoria, she could still see he loved her just as much as the day they were married.

She had to get out of that diner. Without looking at Ron, and barely registering his question and her response, Hermione headed into the cold winter streets of London. She felt torn; glad to have gotten that encounter out of the way, yet regretful that she hadn't been able to be with Draco as he truly had deserved.

**A/N: Sorry it took longer than normal, and I have no excuse other than exhaustion.******

**Thanks so much to all of you for sticking with this for so long, you have no idea how much I appreciate it. You guys are the best.******

**Now, how did you like it? What did you think about the Draco encounter? How about the George confrontation with Molly? And of course the fun desk sex? **


	43. Not All Moonlight and Roses

Ginny stood before a tall mirror in her bedroom taking a long look at her reflection. _Straight on isn't so bad. _She turned to the side. _Damn-it. I look like a beached whale. _

It was Valentine's Day, and she was trying on the special negligee that she had purchased. It was supposed to make her look sexy, though now that she really thought about it she couldn't understand what she was thinking. There was definitely nothing sexy about a woman that looked as if she had a beach ball permanently stuck to her stomach.

_Only two more weeks. _Ginny's new mantra had become counting down the days until she was due to give birth. Every new day brought her closer and closer to not having to carry around the extra weight, the bloating, the fatigue, and not to mention the gas. The gas pains had been especially bad that day.

She turned to the other side, but it was no better. The black lacy thing barely covered her bum, which was saying something, as it had now grown to the size of two large hams. It fit a little snugly over her belly, which irritated her, as she had bought it even a size larger than the sales girl recommended, just in case. _Blasted thing just keeps growing, s_he thought as she poked at her stomach.

Ginny pulled her hair up and sucked in her cheeks. Nothing helped. There was no way that Harry would be able to find this thing she had become attractive enough to sleep with. He had barely touched her in a month. Granted, he was exhausted from working so much, but she felt that deep down he was truly just disgusted with how fat she had become.

She couldn't blame him. She was the size of a baby rhino.

The door to the bedroom opened and she tried in vain to cover herself with her hands. Ginny hadn't even heard him come home, he wasn't expected for hours, but there stood Harry, exhaustion etched on his features.

"I decided to take the rest of the day off," Harry said as he was walking through the door. He took a long look at her, probably taking in the hilarity of her over large form in a small little scrap of lingerie.

He smiled; she knew he was going to laugh. _Damn him! _ What she didn't expect was the look of appreciation instead of mirth. He eyed her lasciviously, and she felt the rush of heat creep up her spine and tingle through her scalp.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she said in a sheepish voice. It had been a long while since Ginny felt this nervous in front of Harry, but it had also been a while since he had seen her quite so unclothed. She felt self-conscious about her figure, even though it was ridiculous. She _was_ pregnant after all.

He walked slowly towards her, his eyes roaming about her semi-nude form. When he finally reached her he went in for a kiss. She watched as he tried to lean over her protruding belly. It was awkward, and she felt stupid all over again. He moved to the side of her instead and was able to get a much better angle, even though that, too, was uncomfortable.

"Damn you, Harry Potter!" Ginny pulled at her hair in frustration.

He broke away bewildered. "What did I do?"

"What did you do? What did you do? I'll tell you what you did. You knocked me up! You knocked me up and then you went off and became a lead Auror and left me hanging around the house. You haven't wanted to sleep with me in over a month because I have become a cow! And now you aren't even able to because I am so large that you can barely reach me." She stomped around the room, throwing her arms up and waving them about in an exaggerated manner.

She was so busy ranting that she hardly noticed the water dripping down her leg until it stopped dripping and started streaming. _Great, now I can't even control my pee! _

"Gin? Love…"

"Don't you 'Gin, love' me. Look at what you have done to me… ROWW!" She doubled over as much her swollen belly would allow. The pain came through her stomach and felt as if someone were stabbing at her insides.

Harry rushed over to her. "Gin? Are you okay?"

Once the pain had subsided, she answered. "Of course I am not bloody okay. I am pregnant, in pain, and damn-it I just wet myself!"

"Uh, Ginny…" he took a hesitant step towards her. "I don't think that's pee." When Ginny didn't say anything, Harry continued. "I think your water just broke."

"My water just…" She stared down at the puddle between her legs. "Wait, how do you even know what that means?"

"I'm not a complete moron, I did listen when the healer told us what could happen when you started going into labor." He looked a little pissed off. Ginny backed away.

"So, if you know what just happened, what do we do now?"

"Merlin, Ginny, didn't you listen at all to what the healer told us?" He began pacing, though he was careful to avoid the puddle that Ginny had left.

She looked guiltily to the floor. She had not been listening; she had eaten a rather large bean burrito that morning and was more focused on not passing gas then on listening to the healer. She caught a couple of her words, like 'pain' and 'water' and 'pain', but really, who didn't know when they were going into labor? Well, her, obviously.

"Ginny, c'mon, let's get you to St. Mungo's." Harry grabbed the packed bag they had ready for this occasion and then went to grab her.

"But it's too early. The baby isn't supposed to come for another two weeks." She couldn't move her feet, it wasn't time for her to give birth. She wasn't ready.

"Well, tell him that." Harry said, gesturing towards her belly.

"And how do you know it's a hi-OOWW!" She gripped her sides, the pain shooting through her abdomen, wrenching at her insides. Harry moved her over to sit on the bed, rubbing his hands up and down her back in a soothing manner, though Ginny hardly noticed.

When the contraction was over this time she decided that there was no point in arguing. She let Harry lead her out the front door and into the ministry car that he had taken to driving around since he became a lead Auror.

****

Hermione was tapping her fingernails anxiously on her desk. The tic of her wall clock echoed throughout the room, exaggerating the fact that time was moving ever so slowly. Ron had told her that he would pick her up from her office at five. It was their first real Valentine's together. And not just their 'second, first Valentine's' but their actual first. Their first time around, Hermione had had to work late on Valentine's Day.

She was a little nervous. Ron had said that he had something special planned, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was going to ask her to marry him. Part of her desperately hoped so, and the other part was hesitant. After all, she had just gotten a divorce only a few months ago. What would it look like if she were to get married again right away?

Not that it mattered, yet. It was only 1:15, and she could hardly concentrate on the files in front of her, which only proved the flustered state of her nerves even further.

She was staring intently at a file, letting the letters blur into one large smudge of black ink, when an insistent knocking on her door broke her out of her trance.

"Come in," she called out to her welcome intruder; anything to break up the monotony of the day.

Ron came barreling in, panting as he stood in her doorway.

"Ron? What's wrong? I thought you weren't coming until five. Don't tell me that you are canceling!" The idea of him blowing off their date infuriated her and she rose from her seat ready to ream him out.

"Ginny…Mungo's…baby." A strangled gasp was all that Ron could manage through great gulps of air.

It was enough; Hermione stayed calm, but quickly gathered her belongings and left a message for her boss that she would be leaving early. She held onto Ron, helping to calm him down in his frantic state. One might think that it was his child about to be born.

They apparated to St. Mungo's with no trouble, entered the lobby, and headed straight for the First Floor. Perhaps it was meant to be ironic that the floor for 'Creature Induced Injuries' also housed the maternity ward.

At the small healer station, Hermione was able to find out that Ginny was in room 114 and was stable. They were just about to head into the room when Hermione heard a healer around the corner say, 'Don't worry about a thing Ms. Greengrass, so far everything is looking good. We will need to see you again next month, but until then just make sure that you are taking care of yourself.'

Hermione peered around the corner to see Astoria Greengrass shaking the hand of one of the healers. Ron tugged at her arm. "What are you doing? C'mon…"

Hermione shushed him; she had missed part of Astoria's response.

"…baby to be healthy."

"Don't worry about a thing. Your baby is going to be just fine." The healer and Astoria walked further down the hall and Hermione could no longer hear any of the conversation. _Merlin! So that was why Draco was getting married. _ She didn't understand why she should care, but she did. It made her feel better. It made her understand. And even though it definitely should not matter, it made her realize that he had not stopped loving her.

How could she be so selfish to care? It wasn't as if she wanted to get back together with him. She loved Ron. It just felt… nice to know that all she had meant to him had not been a lie. After their encounter she was beginning to doubt their entire relationship completely.

She looked back to see an irritated Ron, arms crossed and his hair hanging loosely in his eyes.

"Done?" He said in a terse voice.

"Sorry," was all she could manage.

Ron led her into the room and they watched as Ginny screamed out, "Going to kill you! Never again, Harry Potter! You are never having sex ever again!" She was laying upright on a large bed, her orange hospital gown clashing brilliantly with her red hair and even redder face.

"It's okay, Ginny," Harry cooed patiently, holding her hand as she continued to scream obscenities at him.

"No it's not bleeding okay. I! Am! In! Pain!"

Hermione was rather impressed with how well Harry was keeping it together.

When Ginny caught sight of Hermione and Ron she growled. Hermione felt Ron pull back from her and closer towards the door.

"Maybe I should…" His hand reached for the door handle when the door swung open. Molly Weasley came striding through and went straight to Ginny's side.

"You're going to be okay sweetie. Mummy's here." She took to Ginny's unoccupied side of the bed and grabbed hold of her other hand. The contraction seemed to be ebbing and slowly her breathing evened out.

Hermione, now feeling that it was safe, took a step towards her friend. Ron stayed by the door.

"Mum?" Ginny said once her body stabilized.

"Yes dear?"

"Get out." It was said in such a simple manner that Hermione thought that she must have misheard.

Molly apparently had the same reaction, "What dear? I didn't understand you."

"I said," Ginny clenched her teeth, "Get. Out."

Molly stepped back from the bed, her face frozen in shock.

"Sorry Molly, she's been like this ever since we got here. She doesn't mean it." Harry intervened on his wife's behalf.

"Yes I do bloody well mean it. I don't want her here. If she can't accept my future nephew then she has no business accepting our child."

Every mouth in the room fell open; Hermione, realizing that her own was gaping, quickly shut it.

"Perhaps we should…" she stepped back towards Ron and the door.

Ron needed no prodding, and they both exited the room as quickly as they could.

****

He couldn't get out of there fast enough; though, he also didn't really want to be stuck in the hallway with Hermione at this moment either. The initial shock of seeing his sister in that state and hearing her curse everyone to high heaven had worn off, and the irritation he felt at Hermione's insistence on listening into Malfoy's fiancées conversation came back full force.

Why couldn't she get over him? After Hermione's reaction to her meeting with Malfoy, Ron became uneasy about their relationship. She had become quiet; all she would tell him was that Malfoy was now engaged to someone named Greengrass. Slowly, she had come back to herself, letting Ron in; tonight he was going to focus on their relationship. He was even thinking of bringing it to the next level by asking her to move in with him. Although, it was more that he wanted to move in with her, but those were semantics. Now he wasn't so sure. If she were truly over Malfoy, she wouldn't have cared what his ferretess was doing. But she did, she cared. It was written all over her face.

"Want to go to the tea room?" Her voice sliced through his reverie like a knife.

He just grunted and began walking towards the stairwell. Her footsteps were quick behind him.

"Wait up," she called as she tried to catch up to his longer strides.

He kept on his path.

"Hey!" The footsteps behind him stopped. He turned to look. Hermione was standing in the middle of the hallway hands on her hips.

"What is your problem?" She asked. Ron decided it best to ignore her.

He started walking again.

This time her footfalls were faster behind him, and as she ran to catch up her voice shot out, "I said, what is your problem?" She grabbed at his sleeve.

"_My_ problem? What is _your_ problem?" Ron couldn't control his anger any longer.

"I don't know what you mean." She stepped back and looked genuinely bewildered, something that angered him all the more.

"You aren't over him, are you?" He asked, his face hard as he stared into her eyes.

She faltered, "Not over him? Of course I am over him. I love you."

"Then why do you care? Why do you care if she is off having his baby? Why did it bother you when you found out he was engaged? Don't lie to me Hermione."

"I'm not. I'm not lying to you. I love you!"

"Yeah right." Ron shrugged his shoulders and started to turn back around. He couldn't stand in this hallway with her anymore. He needed to get out, needed to think.

"I do. I love you. Ron, please don't go…" He could hear the wavering in her voice as she tried to hold back her sobs. "I want to be with you. Just you. I want to _marry_ you."

Ron stopped. He turned slowly, not sure exactly if he had heard right. He took in her tear filled eyes, her fingers that were grasping at her robes with all their might, the look of shock on her own face. As if she too wasn't quite sure what she had said aloud.

"You want to marry me?" Ron choked out.

She nodded slowly and the muscles in her neck clenched as she took in a large gulp.

He took a step forward. "Are you sure? You aren't just saying this?" He asked, needing verification yet again, still unsure if this was real.

She nodded once more. "Yes, yes, I'm sure. I have never been more sure."

That was all it took. Ron covered the distance between them in five easy strides and took her up into his arms, crushing her smaller form into his. He kissed her hair, her neck, every inch of her face before pulling her lips to his. He was breathless for her, hardly aware of where they were.

"Ahem." Ron broke their kiss and turned to see George and Angelina standing in the hall with amused smirks on their faces.

"So, getting hitched, huh?" Angelina asked.

Hermione looked up at Ron, her eyebrows raised in a question. He held onto her even tighter and grinned, "Yes. Yes we are." He felt as she dug her face further into him, her own grinning cheeks widening on his chest.

"That must be nice," George said. Angelina shot him a glare. "What? It's about time. It must be nice… for them." Ron could tell that George was only adding that last bit to placate Angelina.

"Right. Well, Ginny's room should be just over there." Angelina pointed down the hall.

"I wouldn't," Ron said. "Mum's in there." Just as he said it he saw his mum step out of the room, her face flushed. He pulled Hermione against the wall, hoping to avoid his mum's wrath by getting out of her direct sight line.

George and Angelina stood tall as Ron's mum barreled down the hallway towards them.  
When she got close, Ron backed even further against the wall, pulling Hermione with him.

Shock of all shocks, his mother did not begin ranting about their unblessed union, but instead pulled both George and Angelina into a tight embrace whispering "I'm sorry" into their ears.

The surprise on George's face gave way to his usual playful smile. George patted his mother's back. "It's all right. Old age can cause people to do some crazy things." Ron's mum swatted at him, but her lips were curved upwards all the same.

Ron felt that it was now safe to come forward and asked, "How is Ginny?"

"Fine. It will probably be a few more hours until she delivers."

"Hours?" Ron asked.

"Yes dear, hours. It isn't all moonlight and roses having a baby."

Angelina took a large gulp while George moved over to her reassuringly.

They all went up to the tea room as they waited for word about Ginny. The hours seemed to stretch on forever. Neither George nor Angelina seemed to feel the need to let on about Ron and Hermione's engagement; probably because George didn't want to renew any of their mum's displeasure.

The rest of the family trickled in until the tea room was completely filled with Weasleys. Hermione had fallen asleep on Ron's lap as he ran his fingers through her hair. Bill kept nodding his head in slumber and then jerking himself awake. Victoire was wrapped up with Fleur and Dominique was being looked after by Ron's dad.

It was just past midnight when the healer came in.

"You may go in and see the baby now."

A wave of energy seemed to have burst through the room as everyone gathered bolted upright and started heading for the door.

"Only four people at a time please." The healer's voice broke in causing an upward roar of groaning.

Ron had wanted to be in the first group, but Hermione had wisely informed him that if they were the last group that they would get to be alone with Harry and Ginny, so they waited. And waited some more, as each group of people went downstairs, and then came back, only to gush about how beautiful the baby was.

It was a boy, rightfully named James Sirius. He weighed 6 pounds and 7 ounces, was 21 centimeters long. James was born at exactly 11:59 on St. Valentine's Day, either a good or bad omen, depending on who you asked.

When it was Ron and Hermione's turn to go in it was nearly 2:30 in the morning. Ginny was already sleeping, having had a sleepless dream potion almost right after she had fed James for the first time. Harry was seated in a rocking chair, James bundled up in his arms, a hospital issue blue blanket swathed around the baby.

James had a shock of black hair so thick you could almost forget that his head was slightly cone shaped. Almost. His face was splotchy and red, and honestly Ron didn't really know how anyone could tell who the baby was supposed to resemble.

The one thing that he could be sure of was that he immediately wanted one of his own, and by the look on Hermione's face so did she. Now that they were getting married, perhaps that wouldn't be so far off either.

They decided not to tell Harry just yet about their engagement. Tonight was his and Ginny's night. They could break the good news tomorrow once he got down on one knee and proposed to her properly.

*****

**A/N: So that is the end… just the epilogue left. Tell me what you thought? How did you like Ginny? What about the proposal. I know it was rather sudden, but like their first kiss I feel that they would be a bit of an impulsive pair and that it would be Hermione to take the helm. **

**Thanks so much to you all and thanks to my awesome beta for helping me to fix all the wonderful grammar mistakes that I so love to make. **


	44. Epilogue: Enter the New

"I don't believe it. I don't bleeding believe it. It can't be! I cannot be pregnant again! Damn it, Harry." Ginny had just finished peeing in a small cup of pregnancy potion. It took only 30 seconds for the color to change from clear to a smoky blue.

"At least this time you won't be alone." Harry's reply came from the doorway.

Ginny swatted at him. "This is not funny. You aren't the one who has to carry this thing around for nine months. And I had just convinced the Harpies to let me back on as a reserve!" She stormed passed Harry into the bedroom and threw herself dramatically on the bed.

"C'mon Gin, it's not so bad. Besides, don't you love the results?" He moved closer to her, but not close enough that she would be able to take a swing at him.

She turned around onto her back and faced him. "Please, you know I love James, but… well I was just getting into the swing of things and now I have to do it all over again."

"I know," he sat on the edge of the bed, still out of arm's reach, "but you'll have Hermione, and Angelina, and Mitzi… damn, you are one fertile group of witches."

Ginny kicked him off the bed. Silly Harry, he didn't think about her legs. She giggled as she watched him gather himself from the floor.

"That's funny is it?" He growled, though he was grinning as well.

"I guess it won't be so bad." However, she really wasn't looking forward to lugging around all that baby weight again.

"It'll be great." He came and sat dangerously close to her on the bed once more. His eyes darkened as he gave her that all too familiar look.

"Oh, no. I don't think so. That's how we got into the mess in the first place." She pushed him away from her.

"It's not like you can get pregnant again." He neared her once more.

Who was she kidding? She pulled him towards her. Their lips met, their hands explored, they forgot about everything but each other. Harry was her weakness, and if they kept going as they were they would probably end up with just as many kids as her mum.

The thought might have sobered her had she not been so intent on their lovemaking. He really was rather good in that department.

****

Hermione had decided to join Ginny on a walk about the park. James was sitting comfortably in his pram. Ginny's belly protruded slightly, Hermione's pregnant tummy was a bit larger. A wooden bench sat nicely along the edge of the trail, and being rather tired from the twenty minute stroll, they decided to take a rest.

James was telling Ginny a story in some language that neither of them could understand. What they did know was that it involved a 'baw' and 'mum'.

Hermione looked over the other people that also decided to take in the unseasonably warm weather, smiling as she watched a little girl pushing a pram while her mother walked beside her, baby swaddled against her chest in a sling.

A boy was tossing a Frisbee back and forth with what Hermione guessed to be his older brother. Two women were pushing their strollers along the walk, one even more pregnant than Hermione. It was when the women passed the boys playing Frisbee that Hermione thought that she recognized them.

When Ginny elbowed her in the ribs, she knew it to be so. It was Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, or rather, Astoria Malfoy – the idea only slightly bothered her – and Daphne Macmillan. Her first instinct was to duck, though where she was going to do so was beyond her.

Then she decided that ducking was silly. There was no reason that she couldn't be completely pleasant with this woman. Instead, she decided to steel her nerves and go and say 'hi'.

"… and then Scorpius lifted himself up to the table and started walking around it."

_Scorpius? Really?_ Hermione felt a little awkward interrupting, but it was too late to back out now. Astoria had spotted her.

"Hi," Hermione said in as cheerful a voice as she could muster.

"Hello. Hermione, right?" Astoria's smile was large and fake. It made Hermione instantly regret coming closer.

"Right. Is this your son?" She asked as she looked into the pram. A baby boy with white blonde hair, about five months, was seated in the stroller with a teddy bear's ear shoved in his mouth. "He is adorable. He looks just like his father."

"Yes, well…" Astoria didn't seem to be pleased by Hermione's comment. "I see you are expecting?" She eyed Hermione's belly as if it were a thing of distaste.

"Yes, seven months." She looked over towards Daphne. Hermione had never really spoken to Daphne before, being in Slytherin a major deterrent, but she now looked to her for some kind of relief from this awfully stiff conversation. She had married a Hufflepuff after all, how bad could she be?

Thankfully, Daphne got the hint. "I'm eight. I'm due April twelfth, actually." Her voice was genuinely cheerful, and it helped to ease some of the tension.

"You look wonderful." Hermione gestured towards Daphne's stomach. "I would never have thought you were that far along." It was a lie, but the comment obviously pleased Daphne, and she smiled.

"This is my daughter, Adrianna." A small girl very near James' age sat happily in her pram, and she handed Hermione her pacifier in a gesture of good will.

"She is darling," Hermione said as she passed the pacifier onto Daphne.

"Isn't she?" Daphne looked down at her daughter, adoration and love filling her eyes.

Astoria started fidgeting with Scorpius' teddy bear, trying her best to take it away from him, but every time she tried the baby cried out in an ear-splitting wail.

"I think someone needs a nap," Astoria looked sternly at her son.

"Well, I better get back, just wanted to stop over and say hi. It was nice seeing you again Astoria, Daphne." Hermione bent over towards the strollers. "And it was very nice to meet you," she said to Adrianna and Scorpius.

"We will have to get together sometime," Daphne added just before Hermione turned to walk away.

Shocked, but not displeased by the offer, Hermione responded, "That would be lovely. I'll owl you."

Daphne grinned, Astoria merely waved, and Hermione headed back towards Ginny. Maybe one good thing came from the awkward encounter, Hermione thought. She shook her head and laughed at the thought of being friends with Draco's sister-in-law.

****

Ron and Hermione stood in the doorway of the kitchen, looking out on the back yard of the Burrow. Albus – Harry and Ginny's second child - and Rose were sitting on a blanket playing a game of exploding snap. James, and Dominique were fighting over who got to play the winner while Fred, George and Angelina's first born, was working on convincing Lucy and Molly (Percy's two kids) that grass really did taste delicious. Teddy was changing his hair color from green to blue to red in an attempt to impress Victoire, though she continued playing with her dolls as if Teddy did not exist. Lily (Harry and Ginny's third, and according to Ginny, final child) was chasing Ron and Hermione's youngest, Hugo, around a tree while Louis (Bill and Fleur's son) watched, too afraid to jump in on the game, but excited by it all the same. And then there was Roxy, George and Angelina's second child, polishing her toy broom in a quiet corner of the yard.

It was quite a brood that the Weasley's had created, if they kept on at this rate the whole of Hogwarts would be populated by their offspring.

Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione's middle as he rested his chin atop her head.

"Do you regret it?" He asked, suddenly needing reassurance that Hermione was in fact as happy as he was.

"Regret what?" She turned to look at him, her eyes questioning.

"Y'know, marrying me? Living this life? Having to deal with all of my family. Do you regret it?" After all, she could have been living in a manor home with only Malfoy to distract her from reading, writing or working. Instead she was stuck with him, never a spare moment to herself. One family member or another always popping by with their kids. It wasn't often, but sometimes Ron still worried that she might have been happier leading the glamorous life with Malfoy.

"Never. I could never regret you." Her eyes shone with love as she propped herself on her tip toes and leaned into him for a sweet kiss.

He couldn't help it, forgetting exactly where they were, Ron grabbed Hermione closer, taking their kiss deeper than she had probably intended. Hermione wasn't arguing though. Her lips moved just as feverishly against his.

"Ugh! They're kissing." Ron broke away from Hermione to see James pointing at them from his seat on the lawn.

"That's gross!" Fred added.

"Yeah! Gross!" Albus piped in reply.

The rest of the children all stopped and stared at Ron and Hermione, each one adding their own special commentary. Hermione blushed, but her face was shining with pleasure. Ron, well he was just looking forward to pawning off Rose and Hugo for an hour or two on Nana Weasley, there was no way that Hermione was getting away with kissing him like that without some form of revenge. He grinned, thoughts of all the things that he would do swimming in his brain.

"Daddy? Why are you smiling like that?" Rose called out.

"Just, er… Happy. Really, really happy." He looked down at his wife, and over at his children. He really was happy. Who would have thought it could be possible after everything that had happened?

**A/N: *Tear* So, that is the end. I know there was a ton, and I mean a ton, of new young characters introduced... I am hoping that it wasn't too confusing. Sorry if it was. **  
So let me know what you all thought of my little (or rather, big) tale.

There is so much to say: but I will not be too much of a brat. I would of course love to thank my wonderful Beta Georgia Weasley who has helped me tackle all my wonderful grammar and punctuation malfunctions (to which there were quite a few).

And I want to thank all of you wonderful reviewers, to which there were so many that I am unable to mention all their names. You wonderful people know who you are.

And to all of you who are reading this now that the journey has ended, know that I will always, and I mean always, respond to reviews, so don't hesitate to leave them (in fact I would very much appreciate it).

Lastly (I know, I know) I would like to mention that I am working on the sequel right now and plan to have the first chapter up within a week or two. It is a Scorpius/Rose fic, and is more spin off than actual sequel.

SpringTime - Out! Love you all.


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